El Regreso
by AriFan07
Summary: Four and a half years ago Arizona Robbins did not return home. Now she's back and trying to regain the life she had lost.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I swear the only thing here that belongs to me is the idea, scout's honor.**

**This story has been in my head for a few months now and I've been working on it for a while and I decided to just upload it so here it is. The first chapter of the story known as El Regreso (for those of us who don't speak Spanish it translates as The Return). Happy reading.**

_August 30, 2012_

"_Señor Vasquez?" Arizona said closing the large door behind her._

_The man looked up at her, removed the cigar from his mouth and smiled, "Ay, Arizona." He closed his book, stepped from behind his desk and offered her one of the plush, leather seats on the other side of the office, "Tome asiento." (Have a seat.)_

_She shook her head, "No gracias, señor." (No thank you, sir.)_

_The smile fell from his face when he saw the blank expression the blonde wore, "¿Cuál es el problema, Arizona? She broke the man's gaze ¿Es Catalina? ¿Está bien?" His pupils dilated, he clenched his fists and took two steps towards Arizona. "¿La cirugía se realice bien?" she did not answer him. "Doctora Robbins!" (What's the problem, Arizona?...Is it Catalina? Is she okay?...Did the surgery go well?...Doctor Robbins!)_

_She looked up at the man and began speaking, "Lo siento, Sr. Vásquez, pero no había nada que yo pudiera hacer. La magnitud de los daños a su hígado y los riñones causado otros órganos de Catalina al fracaso. En el momento en que ella abrió su corazón ya había dejado de latir. Mi equipo y yo intentamos nuestro mejor esfuerzo pero no había nada que cualquiera de nosotros podría hacer. Lo siento." He took one more step towards her and slapped her across her face causing her head to snap to the left. She looked at him and continued, "Nos habíamos estado preparando para esto desde el día que me trajo aquí, señor. Yo te había dicho que era probable que esto suceda. Los médicos le había dado tres meses de vida, pero le di cinco años." (I am sorry, Mr. Vasquez, but there was nothing I could do. The extent of damage to her liver and other organs caused Catalina's kidney failure. By the time opened her up her heart had stopped beating. My team and I tried our best but there was nothing any of us could do. I am sorry…_ _We had been preparing for this since the day you brought me here, sir. I told you it was likely to happen. Doctors gave her three months to live, but I gave her five years)_

_He took a step back from her and sat in the seat he had offered her earlier; he covered his face with his large hands and hung his head, "¡Oh, mi bebé ... mi Catalina! Oh, querida, te amo tanto." After a few minutes he dried his eyes and looked at Arizona, his face worn but showing no emotion, "¿Dónde está? ¿Puedo verla?" (Om my baby…my Catalina! Oh, my darling, I love you so much...Where is she? Can I see her?)_

_Arizona nodded, "Sí, señor. Ella está en su habitación." (Yes, sir. Se's in her room.)_

_He walked up to Arizona again and shook her hand, "Gracias, Doctora Robbins." Arizona gave a small smile and nodded. The man placed a hand on her shoulder, "Al ver que su trabajo se ha completado, voy a organizar un avión para que de regreso a Estados Unidos." (Thank you, Doctor Robbins…Your work here is complete, I will arrange your flight back to the United States.)_

_Her smile grew but then faltered, "Gracias, pero yo quería quedarme para el funeral de Catalina. Habíamos crecido muy cerca durante los cuatro años y yo quería decir un adiós apropiado para ella." (Thank you, sir but I was hoping that I could stay for Catalina's funeral. We grew really close over the four years and I have to say my proper goodbye.)_

_He smiled warmly at her, "No tengo ningún problema con eso, Arizona, pero el funeral no será por una o dos semanas." (I have no problem with that, rizona but the funeral will not be for another week or two.)_

_Arizona shook her head, "Eso está bien para mí. Puedo esperar, Catalina vale la pena." (I have no probem with that. I can wait, Catalina was worth it.)_

_The man nodded and opened the door leading her out of the room._

September 10, 2012

That was the reason she was here, that little girl, Catalina had died and now she was back in the United States, back in Washington. She had nowhere else to go, no one to turn to. Her life had been turned upside down four and a half years ago when one night she was taken from Seattle and flown to Spain to care for a drug lord's daughter. Catalina Vasquez was only three months old when her doctors diagnosed her with Infantile Choriocarcinoma of the liver and six months when her father 'assigned Arizona to the case'. She had spent the past four years doing everything she could to give the girl more time to live. Unfortunately, Catalina's illness had gotten worse and she died before Arizona even got the chance to open her up. That was two weeks ago, her funeral was yesterday and now Arizona was back on United States' soil, handing over the fake passport that Piero Vasquez had gotten for her.

The man behind the window stamped her book and smiled at her, "Welcome home, Dr. Robbins."

She took the passport and gave a small, quick smile, "Thank you."

Arizona clutched her bag tighter and moved around the corner and headed towards the exit. As she stepped through the doors she was assaulted by the wind and the cool Fall air. She stopped walking and took in a breath before slowly exhaling. She was home again. She stopped a taxi and gave him directions to her home in Queen Anne. On the way realization hit her, she had no idea what she was going to say. What she was going to tell the person she left behind for four and half years without even a phone call? Hi honey, I'm home? She ran her fingers through her hair frustrated. When she had been taken they had been married for five years and her wife was six months pregnant which would make the child four years old; she has a family. Well, she had a family; a wife who had most likely moved on and a kid who was calling another woman Mommy or a guy Daddy. Her hatred for Piero Vasquez returned, she had not felt that way about the man in a really long time but he had separated her from her family; her wife and her baby, she had all right to hate him. The cab pulled up to the address that she had given the man but she sat there looking at the house. For five minutes she refused to move, she just sat wondering what she was doing and how would she explain being missing for over four years. She was sure there was an investigation into her disappearance; her wife would make sure of it. She handed over fifteen dollars to the driver who smiled widely and thanked her. She stepped out into the three o'clock evening and walked up the steps leading to the walkway. She did not expect to find anyone at home as her wife's car was not in the driveway. Still Arizona climbed the steps to the porch and knocked on the door.

A minute later the door was opened by a short, redheaded woman, "Hello, how many I help you?"

Arizona smiled as the woman wiped her hands on her apron, "Hi, I'm Arizona Robbins. My family and I live here…well. I lived here about four years ago before I…does a Callie Torres live here?"

The woman's eyes widened, "No she doesn't. My husband and I bought this house two years ago and that name doesn't ring a bell."

Arizona's smile fell and her shoulder sagged, "Oh, okay. Thank you for your time." The woman nodded politely and closed the door.

She walked slowly down the walkway and sat on the stone steps. With a frustrated growl she allowed her head to drop to her knees. She held up her head and started laughing; Callie had moved two years prior and now she could be anywhere in the city…hell, the state…no, the country! Her laughter grew stronger; her wife had just gotten up and moved but then again, she had all reason to because Arizona had simply vanished into thin air one night. Arizona dried the tears that escaped and walked up to the door once more, she knocked again and the same woman answered.

Arizona smiled sheepishly at her, "I'm sorry to bother you again but can you please call a cab for me? I just got back in the country and I don't have a cell phone."

"No problem. You can come inside and have a seat," the woman offered.

Arizona shook her head, "Thank you but I'll wait out here."

The older woman left to make the call and Arizona sat in one of the chairs set out on the porch. A short while later the woman returned with a scone and a small cup of tea which she placed on the table in front of the blonde. Arizona thanked her and the woman occupied one of the two remaining seats.

When Arizona had taken a sip of tea the woman spoke, "I don't think I introduced myself." She smiled, "I'm Dorothy Francis."

Arizona smiled and shook the woman's hand, "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Francis and thank you for calling the cab and for the food."

Dorothy waved her hand dismissing the thanks, "It's nothing, my dear."

They sat in silence for a while until another yellow taxi pulled up before the house. Arizona stood and shook hands with the lady once more before hauling her small bag to the vehicle. During her time on the porch she thought about where she would find her wife, the only place she could think of was work so she asked the driver to carry her to Seattle Presbyterian Hospital. The fifteen minute drive seemed to take forever as they were up against unusually heavy traffic.

When she arrived at the hospital she paid the driver and walked through the front doors. The same smell that was so familiar just four years before, almost knocked her out. She hated the smell of hospitals but since she worked as a doctor in this very hospital she had gotten used to it, however, her hatred for hospital smells was back. Arizona walked up to the front desk and waited for more than a minute until the woman behind the desk stopped typing and decided to pay attention to her.

The woman looked at the blonde over her glasses, "How may I help you?"

Arizona plastered a fake smile on her face, "Good evening. I'm looking for a doctor Callie –"

She was cut off by someone calling her name, "Dr. Robbins?" She looked around and saw the hospital's Chief of Surgery, her Chief of Surgery walking towards her.

She gave another smile, "Chief Harrison," Arizona took one step forward and the man stopped in front of her with a smile on his face.

"Well I'll be…Arizona Robbins!" she could only smile up at him. "Where have you been? There was an investigation into your disappearance but I don't think anything came out of it."

She continued to hold her smile, "Can we talk in your office please, Chief?"

"Sure. Anything for you, Dr. Robbins," the man had always loved Arizona and held her in high regard. She was the hospital's crown jewel, well until she had to share that place with a certain Orthopedic Surgery Resident turned Attending.

The two walked in silence to the man's office and when Arizona was seated, Harrison again asked about her disappearance. She gave him an overview of her four and a half years, his face growing more and more solemn as the minutes passed. After catching up for a few more minutes Arizona asked the only question she wanted an answer to, "Sir is Callie still here?"

Harrison looked at her sadly, "No, she isn't. I'm afraid she left about three years ago; the last I heard she was making waves over at Seattle Grace Mercy West."

"Three years," Arizona muttered. She looked at the man again, "Do you know if she's still there?"

"I believe she would be; they got her funding for her cartilage research so it's highly possible that she's there."

"Oh wow," a smile spread across Arizona's face. Many nights Arizona had gone to bed without Callie either because she was in her study or at the hospital trying to perfect her project. "She finally got it sponsored."

Harrison nodded, "And I heard that she used it to repair a patient's knees about a month ago and so far there are absolutely no complications." He continued when he saw the wide smile on his former Head of Pediatric Surgery's face, "I only wish we were able to give her the funding. She really is making a name for herself over there; her name's probably bigger than yours by now, Robbins."

Arizona laughed, "We can chalk that up to me being MIA for over four years."

Harrison laughed along with her, "That and the fact that your wife is an exceptional surgeon."

Arizona's smile grew softer, "She's exceptional in every single way." Harrison nodded in agreement. Arizona wiped her hands on her jeans and stood, "It's getting late; I'm gonna go now, Chief."

The tall man stood as well, "That's fine, Arizona." He walked around his desk and pulled her into a hug. A hug which reminded her so much of the one she had received from Piero Vasquez just hours before. They separated and Arizona walked to the door. When her hand she was halfway through the door he called out, "Welcome home, Dr. Robbins."

She turned and gave a small smile, "I'm not home yet, Chief."

One hour later, after waiting for another taxi and creeping through rush hour traffic, Arizona was walking through the front doors of Seattle Grace Mercy West. The first thing that hit her was that this hospital did not have the typical 'hospital smell', there was no smell of antiseptic yet everything was immaculate. As soon as her feet passed the automatic doors Arizona's eyes and ears had been on the lookout for Callie Torres. Callie was nowhere in sight. She walked towards the information desk where the woman manning the station was conversing with a tall, well built and graying man dressed in navy blue scrubs.

When she stopped at the desk the woman turned to her with a smile, "Good day. How may I help you?"

"Hi. Uh, I'm looking for a Dr. Callie Torres," Arizona said and the woman turned to her computer.

"Dr. Torres just went into surgery," the man said turning to face Arizona.

"Oh," she looked to the woman who nodded confirming what the older man had said. "Do any of you know when she'll be finished?"

"Not for now; she's rebuilding a guy's neck," the man answered again.

Arizona's eyebrows shot up in surprise; that was definitely impressive. "Okay, thanks." Arizona smiled and started walking away.

"I'll tell her you were looking for her, Ms…?" he said.

She turned around and smiled, "No that's fine." She turned and started walking away again when she was frozen in her tracks. Running towards her was…Catalina? Arizona had to remind herself that Catalina was dead; but here was her doppelganger running straight towards her. Both girls were about the same age, this girl looked slightly younger than the Vasquez girl, they were both the same height and both had a full head of curly dark hair framing their faces.

Arizona turned as the child rushed past her shouting, "Uncle Mark!" She launched herself at the man's feet and hung on tight.

Mark laughed, "Well, if it isn't little Miss Sofía." He swung her up to allow her to sit on his shoulders and walked off chatting with the little girl.

Arizona walked out into the afternoon and sat on one of the benches in front of the hospital. She was exhausted and still unable to find her family. She reached into the side compartment of her bag and pulled out her box of cigarettes and her lighter. Arizona hated smoking, Callie hated when she smoked and for a while she only did it when she was really stressed or knew that she would be in trouble but since Catalina's death it was the only thing that gave her comfort. Now, she needed the comfort; she was unable to find her family so she needed something to make her feel okay, the only thing she had was her cigarettes. She put out the half used cigar and stomped on it. She was frustrated again, Callie was right under her nose and she was still unable to find her, she was unable to have her family back. She got up and stopped one of the many taxis passing the hospital and told the driver to carry her to the nearest motel. He did so and fifteen minutes later she was opening the door to her room. Five minutes later she was passed out on the threadbare twin sized bed.

_March 9, 2008_

_Arizona checked her rearview minor for the fifth time in a minute, she was more than sure that the vehicle behind her had been tailing her since she left the hospital. She switched lanes but the vehicle stayed in the left lane. Maybe she was just being paranoid, quite a few of the Seattle Pres. surgeons lived in or near Queen Anne. Ignoring the vehicle for a while, Arizona told her car to call her wife's phone, it rang without answer. When she was five minutes away from home, the car to her left swerved into her and caused her to spin off the road. The car pulled up behind hers and a man emerged, ran up to her car, smashed the left rear window and placed a cloth soaked in chloroform over her nostrils._

_When Arizona opened her eyes she saw nothing, her captors had covered her eyes. She tried to lift her hand to remove whatever was covering her eyes but her hands refused to move from the armrest they were on, she was handcuffed to the seat. Being blind and handcuffed made her feel uneasy and she soon felt worse. The only sound she could hear was the whirring of an engine and realized that she was in an airplane. Anyone who knew the blonde knew that airplanes were not her thing. On finding this out her body tensed and stayed that way until the plane landed what felt like hours later. Her wrists were released and re-cuffed in front of her before she was led off the plane. She felt the sun for a short while before her head was ducked and she was allowed to sit in a car. They drove for almost forty-five minutes in complete silence. When the vehicle stopped she was taken from the vehicle and led up a flight of stairs, down a hall and into a room where she was pushed onto a couch. Her blindfold was removed and her hands were released. The man who had led her to the room left and locked the door. Arizona looked around her cell. It was a relatively small room; it was about twelve by nine and was completely bare except for the couch she was sitting on and a single, uncovered light bulb hanging from the ceiling. The walls were painted in a sickly shade of green that reminded Arizona of the puke of the children she worked with. She looked at her watch; it was twelve thirty in the afternoon. The accident and kidnapping had occurred thirteen hours before and now Arizona was sure that she was not in the United States. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the couch. Arizona's mind flashed to Callie and she reached for her phone in her right pocket; it was missing. Of course they had stripped her; now she had no way to contact anyone back home and she seriously doubted that her captors would willing give her a phone call._

_The door was opened and two men walked in both dressed in business suits, one tall and lanky and the other of medium height and having a thick, muscular body. The taller of the two spoke and confirmed that Arizona was no longer in the United States. The only words Arizona could understand from the man's speech were her name and 'doctora', she had heard Callie used that word and she figured she was either in Mexico or in Spain and judging from the amount of time that passed she guessed that she was in Spain._

_Both men turned to her and the muscular man spoke, "Doctora Robbins, ¿cómo fue tu vuelo?"_

_The other man translated, "Doctor Robbins, how was your flight?"_

_Arizona laughed sarcastically, "If I was awake for most of it then I could answer that but since you people knocked me out and brought me here then I'll have to say that it wasn't the most pleasurable." She knew she should not have been so snarky with the men but she could not help it._

_The translator nodded, "Estaba bien." The Spanish man smiled and Arizona glared at the other man knowing that he did not translate what she said._

"_Buena. ¿Por qué no descansa un poco? El almuerzo estará listo en breve y voy a tener algunos de mis hombres vienen y te cuando es el momento," the man said clasping his hands in front of him and smiling._

_His translator spoke, "Good. Why don't you get some rest? Lunch will be ready soon and I will have some of my men come and get you when it's time."_

_Arizona nodded and looked around, "Where am I to sleep?"_

_The translator asked the question and received a response from the other man, "You will be transferred shortly up to your room, there you'll find everything that you need…and a comfortable bed."_

"_What am I here for? Why did you guys kidnap me?" Arizona said looking between the two men._

_The translator did not ask this question he simply answered, "You will find that out after you have lunch."_

_Arizona squeezed her eyes shut. "Okay, can I at least call my family…my wife or my parents?"_

_He translated again, "I'm sorry Doctor Robbins but we cannot allow that while you are here."_

_Arizona glared at the men before they walked out. A few minutes later the door opened again and another man walked in, he motioned for her to get up and follow him. She did as she was told and led to the end of the hall, and down many others that Arizona assumed was to confuse her, before they stopped at a door. The man opened the door for her, allowed her to step in and closed the door behind her. She took another step and looked around this room; it was a major contrast to the room she had just left. Three walls were painted a soft cream color and the fourth was more of a glass partition between the room and the balcony; against the wall furthest from where she stood was a queen size bed covered in a silk sheet the color of the walls and a walk in closet stocked with clothes and shoes that were all her size; the wall to her right had a door which she assumed led to the bathroom. Arizona walked to the glass wall and looked out, her breath hitched when she saw the large lake and the mountains in the distance which looked blue due to the mist covering them. This view was breathtakingly stunning. She turned away and walked to the closet beside her bed and looked at the variety of clothes she had to choose from. She took out a pair of khaki colored shorts and a light blue blouse. She moved to the bathroom and opened the door; she jumped when the lights turned on off their own accord. She walked into the bathroom, which was bigger than the room she was previously held in, and took another look around. The room was completely white, the walls, the tiles and the furnishings. She put her clothes on the marble countertop, which stretched from one wall to another, and looked in the mirror which ran the length of the counter; it gave her a panorama view of the room behind her Arizona laughed out of disbelief, she was taken from Seattle and shoved into what…luxury? This was totally unbelievable. She turned on the water and allowed the bathtub to fill up before she slipped in and sat there for a long time._

_When she finished her bath she sat on the edge of her bed, tears streaming down her face. She had no doubt that Calliope was worried and frantic, possibly putting herself and their baby at risk. She looked around the room; of course there were no phones in here. Her tears flowed even more, she had no way of contacting her family; she would probably die over here and no one would know. Callie would be devastated. Arizona moved up to lie on the bed, the tears still falling. She missed her family, her mother, her father, her wife and their unborn child._

_That was the last thing Arizona thought before she fell asleep._

Arizona woke up and sat on the edge of the small bed just as she had sat on the bed that Vasquez had given her. She reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet, it was the only thing she was allowed to keep over the four and a half years; she opened it and pulled out a picture that she had put away after a year of living in Spain. Arizona looked at the picture and tears came to her eyes; it was taken just two months before her abduction. She and Callie had flown to Boston to spend the Christmas holidays with the elder Robbins, before the picture was taken the wives were engaged in a discussion about their baby's future sporting endeavors, Callie had wanted equestrian while Arizona wanted soccer or lacrosse, they had come to the agreement that they would allow the child to choose. Barbara Robbins snapped the picture when Callie had rested her head on Arizona's shoulder and the blonde placed a kiss in her hair, her hand resting over her baby. Her tears began falling and she put up the picture in its rightful place at the front of her wallet. She looked around the room and saw the phone on the other side of the bed; she crossed over and picked up the phone and listened for the dial tone. She dialed the number for the place that had become her home since she was sixteen years old.

On the third ring the phone was answered and Arizona's tears started again, "D…Dad?"

"Arizona?" the man on the other side of the country breathed out. "Arizona…is that you darling?"

She nodded but realized that he could not see her, "Yes…yes, it's me."

"Oh my God, baby! Where are you?" Daniel asked. She heard him stand from his creaky office chair and close the door shortly after.

"I'm in Seattle," Arizona answered wiping her eyes.

Daniel called out to his wife and told her to pick up the other line, "When did you get back?"

"Today," the blonde said to her father, running her hand along her jeans clad thigh.

Barbara answered the phone, "What is it, Daniel?"

Her husband answered her, "It's Arizona."

"Ari?" Barbara said softly.

"Yeah, Mom," Arizona said the tears welling up in her eyes again when her mother said her name.

"Oh, Arizona! Where were you?" Barbara asked.

Arizona stalled for a few seconds before whispering, "Spain."

"Spain? What were you doing there?" Daniel asked.

"I was taken there and…" she paused, unable to continue. Her voice came out strangled when she spoke again, "Can we talk about that another time please?" Arizona said rubbing at her right temple.

"Fine, honey," Barbara said before continuing, "Why did you go to Seattle? Why didn't you come here first?"

Arizona answered without thinking, "I had to see Callie."

A soft 'oh' escaped the older Robbins woman's lips before Daniel asked, "Have you seen her as yet?"

Arizona sniffed, "No. I went to the house and she moved, I went to the hospital and she transferred and then I went to her new hospital and she was in surgery. No, I haven't seen her all day."

"Do you want me to call her?" Barbara offered but Arizona quickly rejected. "You're right; she and Sofía are probably sleeping anyways."

"Who?" Arizona asked confused.

"She doesn't know, Barbara," Daniel said quietly.

"What don't I know? Who's Sofia…?" Arizona closed her eyes and a tear slipped from behind her lids. "Callie's daughter," she whispered before either of her parents could answer. The little girl who ran past her earlier passed through her mind and she covered her mouth with her hand to suppress the sob that was threatening to escape.

"Your daughter," Barbara answered. "She's so beautiful, Arizona."

"I know," Arizona said quietly, "I saw her today when I was at Seattle Grace Mercy West. She ran right past me." She let out another sob as she realized that she had seen her daughter and had not realized. Not her daughter; Callie's daughter, she was not her mother, she was never there.

"You did! Oh my, Ari…" Barbara said before her husband shushed her.

"What's her name?" Arizona asked hoping that the child did not adopt another name other than Torres.

Daniel answered, "Sofia Robbin Torres." A small smile broke out on Arizona's face and she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "Callie named her after you, 'Zona." Words failed to come from Arizona's mouth and so the only thing she could do was nod. "Sofía knows about you, she knows that we're her other mother's parents. Callie hasn't allowed your memory to fade; that beautiful baby girl probably can't pick up your face in a crowd but she knows about you, she can tell you stories about her Mommy, thanks to Callie."

"I should find her," Arizona said after a few minutes of silence from both sides. "Do you guys know where she lives now?"

Both answered in the negative, "She and Sofía visit us; we haven't been to Seattle since the Easter before you disappeared."

Arizona sighed, "Okay."

Daniel asked, "'Zona, where exactly are you?"

"I'm at a motel, The Crashpad, I think it's called. It's about ten minutes from the hospital that Callie works at," Arizona said reaching over to the window to peek through the blinds.

"I don't like the sound of that place," Barbara said. "Do they have clean beds…good food?"

Arizona laughed, the tears still heavy in her throat, "It's not so bad, the room doesn't look like it's too insect infected and the sheet is a bit threadbare, the humidifier doesn't work and the only food around is a restaurant about a mile up the road but I'll survive."

Barbara grumbled at the conditions that her only daughter was living in, "You had better find that wife of yours and soon, young lady or that place will be the death of you."

Arizona laughed again, "I'll try, Mom…I'll definitely try."

"Good, now you go and get some sleep; isn't it almost midnight over there?" Barbara said.

Arizona looked at the glow-in-the-dark face of her watch, "Yeah, quarter to."

"Okay, off to bed with you," Arizona laughed as her mother treated her like the ten year old she was over twenty years ago.

"Goodnight, Mom…goodnight, Dad," they both chorused their goodnights and love yous before Arizona hung up.

She rested her head on her pillow, still in the clothes she left Spain in, and fell asleep. This time her dream was not about the kidnapping or Catalina's death but it was about that moment when she reconnected with her wife, the only woman she had ever truly loved.

**Go ahead and tell me what you think…just leave a review. It's that simple. Thanks and have a fantastic rest of the day. *still searching for chocolate and strawberries**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I swear the only thing here that belongs to me is the idea, scout's honor.**

**Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter of this story, it received mainly positive reviews so I decided to post this chapter. Now I know that there are times when things in this story might seem a bit wack…or seem to not be parallel to real life but let's just call it literary license, okay? Okay, thank you. **

**Now, enjoy the story.**

September 10, 2012

"Change that song!" Callie shouted over the music, dark eyes glaring at the nurse manning her iPod. The song was changed and Evanescence's 'My Immortal' began playing. Callie usually had a specific playlist that she listened to while in surgery but today she had chosen a random playlist to rock out to and so she snapped when All-4-One's I Swear began playing unexpectedly. That song became one of Arizona's favorite songs the first time she heard it and she had sung that song to Callie on their wedding night nine years ago. But that seemed so long ago. She shook her head and removed all thoughts of her wife, her wife who had been missing for exactly four years and a half years as of yesterday. With a glance at the nurses around the room and the doctor standing across from her, Callie went back to rebuilding her patient's neck.

Three hours later Callie was scrubbing out of her surgery when Cristina walked stepped into the scrub room beside her and started washing her hands. The Asian woman suddenly stopped and turned to her, ""What was that about?"

Callie did not look up from the metal sink in front of her, "What?"

"You turning into a bitch over a song!" Cristina answered still staring at her superior.

"Shut it, Yang," Callie said before turning the water on, washing her hands and walking out of the room.

Standing alone in an elevator, Callie allowed a single tear to fall as she remembered that night nine, long years ago.

_May 14, 2004_

_The majority of the crowd had already dispersed; Callie had offered to see them out while Arizona took a call from her brother who was stationed in Afghanistan and unable to attend the wedding but when Callie returned to the tent that the reception was held under she found Arizona sitting alone at a table in front of the makeshift dance floor. She could not help but smiling when she saw her brand new wife sitting at the table, her hand holding up her chin, staring off into space. The Latina walked up behind her and placed a soft kiss on a porcelain cheek. _

_Arizona hummed and turned her head to look at Callie, "Hey there, pretty lady."_

"_Hey," Callie answered sitting across from the blonde and taking her small hands in her own. "How's Tim?"_

_A dimpled smile spread across Arizona's face, "He's doing great," her smile waned slightly, "Although he's still bummed that they didn't release him so he could be here."_

_Callie ran her thumbs over her wife's knuckles, cocked her head to one side and gave her a soft smile, "I bet he still danced his heart out."_

_Arizona's smile returned and she nodded, "He said he did and even got two of his Army buddies to dance with him."_

_Callie threw back her head and laughed, "That'd be a sight to see, three big Army guys dancing away to wedding songs."_

_Arizona began laughing as well, "I bet it was." She looked away from Callie's eyes for a few seconds before turning her attention to the woman in front of her, "Dance with me," her dimples appeared again and Callie had no power to tell her very beautiful and stunning wife no._

_Callie looked around the space and smirked, "We have no music, Arizona."_

_The blonde winked, "Don't worry about that." She pulled her hands from Callie's and went to the DJ's station where she turned on a radio, turned and smiled at Callie. She walked back to the table and offered Callie her hand, "Can I have this dance."_

_Callie was smiling like a fool but that was fine; she was standing in the middle of the dance floor with her hands around her wife's waist and said wife's head on her shoulder singing the lyrics of the song to the Latina. "I see the questions in your eyes; I know what's weighing on your mind. You can be sure I know my part, 'cause I'll stand beside you through the years, you'll only cry those happy tears. And though I make mistakes I'll never break your heart" Arizona lifted her head and kissed Callie's lips loving. "I swear by the moon and the stars in the skies I'll be there. I swear like a shadow that's by your side I'll be there. For better or worse till death do us part, I'll love you with every beat of my heart. And I swear" Callie felt Arizona's arms tighten around her waist as she continued singing._

The dinging of the elevator brought Callie out of her thoughts. She shook her head and walked towards the nurse's desk.

She placed her patient, Gregory's, file on the desk and opened it. One of the nurses sitting behind the desk acknowledged her, "Dr. Torres," she continued when Callie looked up, "Dr. Sloan told me to tell you that he took Sofía home because she was feeling sick."

She smiled at the woman, "Thank you, Amy." The nurse smiled and turned back to her computer. Callie completed Gregory's file and placed it in the holder before heading to her office.

It was two hours later before Callie got home, when she left the hospital her watch was reading ten minutes past ten. She made the short walk across the street to her apartment building and stepped into the elevator; working an unexpected twelve hour shift had left her exhausted. She pushed her key into the lock and Mark's door burst open.

The man appeared beside her with Callie's clone sleeping in his arms, "You were supposed to be home two hours ago."

"You don't think I know that, Mark," Callie answered opening the door for him to pass through. He made his way to Sofía's room where he put her on her bed before returning to Callie. "I had a complication with a patient that I let Avery take lead on yesterday."

Hearing his protégée's name Mark looked at her, "What happened?"

"One of the screws that he put in came loose and punctured her heart, so I was over there having my ass handed to me by Hunt and Altman," Callie said searching the fridge for something to eat.

"Oh wow. Everything okay?" Mark asked moving to sit on the bar stool around the island.

Callie sighed, "Yeah, they got to it in time but she's gonna have to be in the hospital for two more weeks now."

Mark frowned, "It's not like Avery to do something like that. Carelessness like that isn't very becoming of a plastic surgeon."

Callie closed the fridge door and turned to look at him, "Maybe you should tell him that."

Mark nodded his agreement, "Believe me I will. Oh, how was your neck surgery…speaking of which, you had a visitor today."

"Who?" Callie asked rifling through the cupboards, settling on a box of cereal.

Mark shrugged, "A woman, about an inch or two shorter than you, blonde hair and these really blue eyes and dimples…yeah the dimples."

Callie's eyes shot up to Mark's when he uttered 'really blue eyes and dimples', "You sure you got that right?"

"I'm positive, Cal." He saw Callie's eyes glaze over, "Who is she?"

Callie left the kitchen and went to her room without answering. She emerged a few minutes later with a picture frame in her hand. Callie shoved the picture into Mark's face, "Is this her?"

Mark nodded and asked again, "Yeah. Who is she?"

Callie put the frame on the island and took a seat beside Mark. "She's back?" she muttered. She looked into Mark's eyes again, "Are you sure, sure enough that you'd bet your life on it?"

"My life and everything I own. Callie, who is she?"

Callie's hand moved to the chain around her neck, "My wife."

"What…wife? You're married?" Mark asked surprised.

"Yeah," she took up the picture and used her finger to trace Arizona's face. "Eight years and four months."

"And that woman, Blondie, is your wife?!" Mark said standing.

"Yeah, Arizona Robbins," Callie said, still playing with her necklace.

Mark stopped turned to Callie, "She's hot!"

"Mark, leave," Callie said staring off into space.

"What?" Mark said.

"Go!" the man stood there. "Go, now!"

Mark mumbled a goodnight and closed the door silently.

_March 12, 2008_

_Callie changed her position in the couch from sitting straight up to lying down; she refused to go into the bed because Arizona was not home as yet and even more so, because she was having back pains again and her feet were too sore to walk. She knew her blonde wife would chastise her by telling her that their bed was more comfortable than the couch and it would be better for her back but Callie did not care, she just wanted Arizona to come home and the pains to stop. Callie groaned as she shifted her position from facing the television to facing the back of the couch. Being six months pregnant was a pain…no, being pregnant was a pain. Callie thought to herself that she had to find some way to convince Arizona to be the human oven for their next child. She lifted her head to look over the television at the time on the clock, it was eleven thirty and Arizona had just finished her shift; it would be another fifteen minutes before she was home and before Callie could get some sleep in her bed. The Latina let her head fall back to the couch. She groaned again as another pain shot through her and went straight to her head, she squeezed her eyes shut and willed the pain away. It did not work. The pain was only compounded by the recorded laughter that was played every fifteen seconds on whatever crap of a show was going on._

"_Damn it, Arizona, where are you?" Callie whined. She lifted her head to look at the clock again, "You told me eleven thirty like two hours ago!" Callie shouted when she saw that the clock read eleven thirty-two. She slowly placed her head on the couch to prevent another bout of pain. The laughter on the television was really pissing her off. She felt around the couch and was unable to find the remote, with a frustrated sigh she got up and looked on the couch only to find the remote on the arm of the couch. With an eye roll at the laughter she turned the television off. She promptly fell back into her previous position, her long, dark hair falling behind her and coming to rest splayed all over the side of her face. Callie shifted again, maybe this one time she should take Arizona's advice and not spend too much time on the couch. Trying to flex her sore back, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath and pushed on her lower back. Arizona had ten minutes before she got home, those ten minutes could not pass quickly enough for the pregnant and pained Latina._

_The ten minutes had passed and Arizona was not home, actually, over two hours had passed without Callie knowing because she fell asleep. She was startled awake by a loud knock on the door, she got up, her entire body sore from sleeping on the very uncomfortable couch (next time she would have to remember how uncomfortable it was before relegating her wife to sleeping there), her back in an even worse condition and made her way slowly to the door. Two more urgent raps were heard and Callie grumbled. "Don't hurry me! You're coming home two hours late and you forget your key, you do not get to rush me, Arizona." She opened the door but instead of being greeted by her wife's adorably cute apologetic face she was met by two police officers._

_The shorter of the two spoke, "Goodnight, ma'am, I am Officer James and this is my partner Officer Rosen" Callie mumbled her own greeting, surprised as to why two SPD officers would be standing at her door at two in the morning. "Does a Ms. Arizona Robbins live here?"_

_The Latina nodded, "Yes, but she isn't here now."_

_The other officer nodded, "We know ma'am; we received a report of an accident about five minutes from here, when we went to check Ms. Robbins' car was to the right side of the road, her left rear window was smashed and she was not in the vehicle or in the surrounding area. We can safely say that there were no traces of blood so it isn't likely that Ms. Robbins was harmed in anyway."_

_Callie's eyes grew wide; she used one hand to cover her mouth and the other to support herself on the frame of the door, words seemed to escape her. The officers stood stoically until she was able to speak again, "She was supposed to leave work at eleven thirty and come home. We live fifteen minutes from the hospital and you're telling me that someone took her within that fifteen minute time span?" The shorter officer's face took on an apologetic look. Callie looked between the two men frantically, "What're you still doing here? Shouldn't you be out trying to find her?!"_

_Rosen opened his mouth but James spoke before his partner, "I'm sorry ma'am but we are unable to declare a person missing before twenty four hours has elapsed."_

"_But she's missing!" she said before mumbling to herself, "Maybe I could call her."_

_She turned around to get her phone from her room but Rosen's words stopped her, "Her phone was left in her car." She turned to look at the man, "The only thing you can do is wait and hope she returns within the twenty four hour period."_

"_You're telling me that while my wife is missing I should just sit on my thumbs and do nothing waiting for twenty four frickin hours to go by?!"_

_Rosen looked at her, his expression not changing, "Yes, ma'am."_

_Callie laughed unbelievingly, "You guys are…" she shook her head, "Thank you, officers." The men bid here goodbye after James had given her his number. Callie walked to her bedroom and took her phone from the night table, she had one missed call…from Arizona. Tears pooled in her eyes but did not fall. She pressed redial and the phone rang without answer…the tears still did not fall. She called again and once more Arizona's phone went unanswered…now the tears fell. Without thinking she called Arizona's office phone at Seattle Presbyterian, that phone too rang without an answer. After trying that number once more, she called the nurse's desk._

_The phone rang thrice before it was answered, "Seattle Presbyterian, Pediatric Surgery, how may I –"_

_Callie cut the woman off, "Goodnight, this is Dr. Torres. Can you please tell me if Dr. Robbins is still in the hospital; I called her office but didn't get an answer." Callie heard the sound of fingers hitting computer keys rapidly. She was really hoping that for some unknown reason someone took Arizona's car and they were the one's missing while her blonde was safe at the hospital._

_The woman responded after a few second, "Dr. Torres? Dr. Robbins clocked out at eleven thirty. I'm sorry but she's not in the hospital."_

_Callie nodded and the tears fell even faster, "Thank you." She hung up and tried Arizona's cell once more, again it was futile. The pains in her back and feet were now replaced by a sharp pain in her heart. She had no way of knowing where her wife was. _

_As far as Callie was concerned, Arizona Robbins was missing, she did not care what the SPD said._

Callie got up off the bar stool and went to her bedroom, she placed the picture in its rightful place and sat on her bed. She reached for her phone and dialed a number she had called over a thousand times in the past nine years.

The phone rang and a gruff, masculine voice answered, "Robbins residence, Daniel Robbins speaking."

"Colonel…" Callie whispered.

"Callie," he shouted to his wife, "Barb, it's Callie."

A few seconds later a woman who sounded exactly like her wife was on another line, "Callie, how are you?"

The Latina whimpered, "She's back."

There was silence from her parents-in-law before Daniel whispered, "We know. We just finished talking to her a few minutes ago."

A sob escaped Callie lips, "It really is her. Wh…when did she get back?"

"Today," Barbara answered.

"She came to the hospital today…Mark said she was looking for me…she was in the same building," Callie muttered. Before any of the Robbins' could say anything Callie asked, "Where is she?"

Barbara hesitated, "She's at a motel about five minutes from your hospital…The Crashpad I think she said it was called."

"That's a few blocks from here…oh God," Callie said. "I should go find her…"

Before she could say anything more, Daniel stopped her, "No, Callie you won't. It makes no sense you go out there now at midnight. I know it's been four years, but going now when both of you are worked up and on edge makes no sense and we sent her to sleep. God knows she needs it."

Callie was silent as her father-in-law spoke and silent for a while after. She knew Daniel was right, he always was, but her wife was only five minutes away and she had not seen her in four years, six months and a day. "Four and a half years," she whispered.

"Honey, Daniel is right. Let her sleep and you do the same. You know where she is so tomorrow you can go look for her, when you're both not so hopped up on your emotions."

"Okay…okay. Thanks Momma Robbins, thanks Colonel."

"Anytime, honey. And give Sofía a kiss for us," Barbara said softly.

With that Callie hung up and allowed her tears fall for a few minutes before drying them and going to Sofía's room. She looked down at her four year old daughter…their four year old daughter and a sad, watery smile spread across her face.

She stroked her black hair and sighed, "Your Mommy's back, baby girl."

She replaced Sofía's clothes with her pajamas and carried her to the larger of the two bedrooms in the apartment and placed her on the bed. Callie changed her own clothes and got ready for bed before climbing in next to her baby and wrapping her in a tight hug. She kissed the top of Sofía's head, allowing a tear to slip and fall into raven locks, "Your Mommy's back."

**Thanks for reading, have an enjoyable rest of the day. You can follow me on Twitter _AriFan07 for updates and anything regarding my current stories.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! So here's the next installment; just a word, even though the chapter is Arizona-centric there is a section that is from Callie's POV, it's only there to serve as a sort of explanation to what's going on. So thanks and enjoy.**

September 11, 2012

Arizona woke up to the pain of her belt buckle digging into her skin, turning unto her back she gingerly rubbed the indentation just below her bellybutton. She peeked open one blue eye and for a few minutes wondered where she was before she recalled that she was back in the United States…back in Seattle. She lifted her hand to read the time; it was just after ten in the morning. She allowed her hand to fall back to the bed and propped herself up into a sitting position. The blonde rubbed the sleep from her eyes, stretched her back and yawned. That was undoubtedly the most uncomfortable bed she had ever slept in…and the beds at Seattle Presbyterian were pretty bad. She took a quick shower and changed her clothes; she had a list of things she had to do today. At the top of that list, get a new phone and some clothes. Next, find and talk to Calliope. Pulling on her shoes her stomach growled, reminding her that she had not eaten in two days. She finished tying her shoes and left the room. She stepped out and met a cloudy and windy Seattle day; she looked to her right and saw a man exiting a room three doors down. He smiled at her and she gave a small wave before walking in the opposite direction.

A few minutes later she stepped into a small restaurant and found an empty table, she ordered an omelet and French toast. Thirty minutes later she was out of the restaurant and sitting in a taxi heading towards the busy part of the city. The next hour was spent buying a phone and searching for cheap clothes to buy. The clothes part was hard because Callie was the one who bought the clothes, Arizona simply wore them. After returning to the motel to leave her bags she headed out once more to complete the second and final task on her to-do list. Find Calliope.

Less than ten minutes later she was walking through the doors of Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital for the second time in as many days. The lobby was quiet and so she heard the loud shout that came from across the hall but paid no attention to it.

"Hey, Blondie!" Arizona felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see the guy from yesterday. What was his name? Matthew?

"Um…hi?"

"Hey, you still looking for Cal?"

"Yeah."

"She just left to look for you."

Arizona was confused, "Excuse me?"

He leaned in and whispered even though there was barely anyone around them, "I know you're Cal's wife, she told me last night…and then she kicked me out. She left a few minutes ago to go to the motel you're staying at."

"How does she…" she shook her head. "Can you call and tell her that I'm here please?"

"Yeah will do, Blondie."

"Arizona," she corrected.

"What?" he was obviously not listening as he searched his pocket for his phone.

"Nothing," Arizona mumbled.

He took his phone from his pocket and pressed a single digit before holding the phone to his ear. He turned away from her but was still in hearing range, "Hey Cal, your girl is here…yeah. She just got here…okay, yeah. She'll be in your office…okay mine then. Yeah, I've got a surgery in twenty minutes with Avery. Okay, see you later then." He turned and spoke to Arizona, "She's on her way back and you can stay in my office until she gets here."

Arizona nodded, "Okay."

He nodded as well and led her to an elevator on the other side of the lobby. The elevator was already occupied; two men, who she assumed were residents, were pouring over a book while one held a cup of coffee and flashcards in his hands. Arizona was grateful that the two men were there because she was sure that Matthew…whatever his name was…would have questioned her about any and everything if they were alone. He pressed the button to the third floor and they stood in silence as the residents behind them questioned each other and drank coffee. Arizona watched the numbers light up and said the number in her head as they shone. It was a habit she had since she was a little girl and she was surprised to find out one day years ago that it also helped to calm her when she was upset or nervous.

Unfortunately for Arizona they were going to the third floor and counting to three was definitely not enough to calm the raging nerves she had inside of her. The man led her down the hallway, receiving a few calls from nurses and a patient in the process, and to a door engraved with his name and title:

DR. MARK SLOAN M.D. F.A.C.S.  
CHIEF OF PLASTIC SURGERY

"Mark, not Matthew," Arizona whispered to herself. That was something she had to remember seeing as though Callie and the man seemed close.

He opened the door, waved her in and offered her a seat on the leather couch beside the door. "Here you are. I gotta run, big surgery but Cal should be here soon." He grabbed his pager from his waist and paid no attention as she sat on the couch. He eventually looked up, "Alright, I'll see you later, Blondie." He left the room and Arizona waited ten seconds before standing.

She walked around the room. Certificates were hung on the wall behind his desk and the bookcase beside them was full of medical books and journals on plastic surgery and otolaryngology. Turning around from the bookcase a picture on the man's desk caught her eye and caused her to take a step back and into the bookcase, upsetting a trophy sitting on top of the structure. Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked at her wife and daughter's smiling faces. Callie and Mark no longer seemed close, now Arizona was certain that they were close. Seeing the framed picture, sitting perfectly, on the mahogany desk made her fearful of meeting Callie again. Thoughts raced through Arizona's mind and none of them were good: 'Suppose she was happy and had moved on? Suppose she did not want to see Arizona again?' she knew her fears were not justified but she could not help it. In the picture Callie looked happy and wasn't that all she wanted for the woman? To ensure her happiness?

Arizona was pulled out of her thoughts by a soft knock on the door. She could not find her voice to respond but the door opened anyhow. The two women stood in the doorway, neither daring to say a word. They stood there staring at each other, making up for the four years without even a peek at the other. Arizona's silence was partly because of how stunned she was. The woman standing in front of her was Callie but she looked nothing like her wife, four years had changed her.

"You cut your hair," it was the first thing Arizona had noticed when she saw her wife but as soon as the words left her mouth she felt like a jackass. After four years the first thing she said to her wife was not 'I missed you' or 'I love you' but instead it was a lousy 'You cut your hair'.

The Latina stepped in and locked the door behind her, "Arizona…."

With that one word…her name Arizona fell and let what she should have said when she first saw Callie again come out, "Calliope…I missed you."

"You never called, "Callie's voice came across hurt and her face did nothing to mask that emotion and like every single time all those years ago the hurt and pain that Callie expressed felt like a stake being driven through Arizona's heart.

"I tried."

_It had been a month since Arizona had been kidnapped by Vasquez's men and had been taken to Spain and she was walking around the mansion. It was a month since she had last seen and spoken to her wife. She had slipped into the depression that always engulfed her whenever she thought about everything that Vasquez had taken from her. Since she had arrived in Spain she had wondered why Vasquez could not have simply hired her to be Catalina's doctor, that way she would fly to Spain when she was needed or the child could fly to America. Two weeks after her arrival her question was answered. Piero Vasquez was wanted in approximately twenty five countries around the world with the United States being the top country. He was one of the biggest drug kingpins in history and carried out a trade that touched every hemisphere of the globe. He had ordered his men to take her and carry her to Spain to treat his sick daughter because he, and ultimately she, was unable to travel. Now, one month after she had arrived in the country she had operated on Catalina three times and contacted anyone from her family zero times. She knew that the two women who were closest to her would be worried sick but she knew that her father would take care of them._

_She was walking to the spacious living room before she heard rapid fire Spanish. By now she was able to understand a few more words that 'doctora' and so she peeked into the room and saw one of Vasquez's new lackeys talking on his phone. Some more Spanish and he closed his phone and placed it on the grand piano sitting in front of the glass doors leading to the balcony before leaving through said doors. Without thinking Arizona tiptoed to the piano and snatched the phone before the man returned. She quickly headed back to her room feeling hopeful. She sat on her bed, facing the door and dialed the number that had become so familiar to her over the years. On the third ring her door burst open and Vasquez's right hand man, Sancho, and the new guy whose phone she stole walked into the room. The men said nothing to her or to each other, Sancho only grabbed the hand she was holding the phone with causing her to drop it and pinned her to the bed. The other man stooped to pick up his phone and Arizona kicked him in the side of the head. It was a bold and rash move but she was desperate; she needed to talk to her wife or her parents. Sancho placed his hand on her neck and squeezed and Arizona was engulfed in darkness._

_When she came to she was lying on the couch in the same room she was thrown in when she had just arrived. She stayed there for three days and was only releases because Catalina needed another surgery._

_That was not the last time she tried to contact someone and each time the punishment was the same, she was locked in the room until Catalina needed her. By the fourth time Arizona was sure that she was becoming claustrophobic. But in the eight times that she was locked in the small, dingy room in the first year alone, never did she think about stopping. She only thought about her family, her wife who had most likely given up any hope of seeing her again, her baby who would never know its other mother and her parents who by now must have come to the conclusion that they had outlived their children._

"I tried, Calliope. I tried to call you," Arizona repeated and took a step towards Callie.

Callie also took a small step forward and Arizona could see the tears in her eyes, "I thought that I'd never see you again…four years. I thought that you were dead…they declared you dead."

"I'm sorry, Callie," Arizona said as her wife leaned her weight on the desk that still separated them. "I'm so sorry."

Callie's tears fell and she looked into her wife's eyes.

_September 15, 2008_

_Callie was on a high, the first one she had felt in over six months. She had just completed her portion of an extensive domino surgery and it was more than successful…she rocked it. Usually after a surgery like the one she had just finished she would go to Arizona's office to celebrate but now Arizona's office was not hers and the new head of pediatric surgery who was a dinosaur of a surgeon had taken residence in her wife's office. Although she was unable to celebrate with her wife she was able to celebrate her success with what was left of her wife. She made her way to the nursery to spend some time with her and Arizona's baby. She waved to the nurse on duty and sterilized herself before heading to the cot that was designated as Sofía's. The baby was awake and her eyes stared up at the mobile that was hanging over her head. Callie moved the object and replaced it with her face, an instant smile spread on her daughter's face and her adorable little dimples appeared. They were the only thing that Sofía had inherited from Arizona…well Timothy really. When Arizona had told Tim that she was gay the questioned he asked (other than if she was going to marry a chick) was if she planned to have children; she had said she was not sure (that eventually became a no when she finished med school) but despite this one of the last things he did before he left for war was freeze his sperm to make Arizona's future child. A soft smile spread across Callie's face as that future child reached her hands towards her mother's face and gurgled._

_Callie lifted her out of the cot and sat in the chair across the room, "Hola, mi'ja, how are you?" The baby continued with her gurgling and Callie continued talking, "I missed you too. Guess what?" Sofía looked up at Callie as though she were asking 'What?'. "Your madre just finished a really cool surgery with the other doctors. I made a man walk again…your momma would be so proud." Instead of breaking down in tears like she wanted to at the mention of Arizona she dipped her head and kissed her baby repeatedly, causing a laughter-like sound to come from Sofía. The next few minutes were spent in silence as she watched the baby try to fight sleep; eventually losing she clamped a small fist on her mother's scrub top and held on. Callie gave another small smile as her daughter transitioned peacefully into sleep. She watched Sofía's little chest move rhythmically as her mind wandered back to six months before when her wife did not come home. _

_A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts, "Dr. Torres?" she looked up at the nurse who had called her, "There's someone here to see you…Officer James."_

"_Oh, send him in," she replied and a few seconds later the man was taking a seat beside Callie. "To what do I owe this visit, Carter? Where's Rosen?"_

_The man gave a small, tight smile, "He's in the car; hospital's aren't his thing." He ran a hand softly over Sofía's head, "I was talking to my boss today, Callie…" she looked up at him so he continued, "He wants to close the case…declare her dead."_

_Callie was sure that if Sofía had not been holding on to her scrub top and if Carter's hands were not on her that she would have dropped the baby. How could they even think about closing the case much more declaring her Arizona dead, after all it was just six months? She eventually found her voice and whispered, "What?"_

"_I know Callie," he put a hand on her shoulder but she did not feel it, she was numb to everything around her._

"_You don't know, Carter!" she was surprised that Sofía was still asleep after that outburst. Her voice fell again, "You don't know," she repeated and his hand fell from her shoulder._

"_I don't, but I tried to reason with him and argue that we should continue because she was still out there…but gut feeling can't be the one hundred percent that we need, Callie," his eyes were sorrowful and Callie knew that he truly did try everything in his power to keep the case open._

_She looked down at Sofía when she spoke, "What do I do now?"_

"_Sign the death certificate," his voice came out just barely above a whisper. He had been working the case for six months and had become close to Callie, it was not something that he usually did but he saw that Callie needed it and so he obliged her. He knew how much everything he had said hurt her but he was carrying out orders. He watched as a strangled sob escaped the Latina and a tear fell onto Sofía's cheek, right where her little dimple was. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. In the ten minutes that they sat like that he only moved once to take Sofía and place her in her cot so she could fall asleep again._

_When she had exhausted her tear ducts Callie dried her eyes, "Do you have it?"_

"_I didn't think you'd take it so easily so I left it with Rosen. I'll ask him to carry it up…unless you want to go and get it," his eyes showed how concerned he was and Callie was grateful that despite everything that had gone wrong in the hellish situation that began six months ago she had a new friend._

_Callie agreed to go for the certificate and ten minutes later she was seated in the same room with Carter who had just ended his shift and decided to stay with her._

_She held the papers between both hands, "I can't do this, Carter."_

_He nodded and ran a hand over her back, "No one's forcing you to sign them now, Callie. Take as much time as you want."_

_She opened them and read the first page. The police department had filled in all the details, all she had to do was print her name and sign and that bothered her. "It's only been six months."_

"_I know but we have absolutely no trace, no evidence of who took her nor any leads. I'm actually surprised that it lasted six months," she knew that he had to give her the facts hard and straight, she had to do the same to patients and family members every day so she understood. "It's hard, Callie but like I said, take your time and come to terms with this okay?"_

_She read the paper again. There was no way she was ever going to come to terms with that. The Seattle Police Department had declared her wife dead when she sure as hell was not._

Four years later Callie still had not signed the papers and Carter had never asked her once to return it. Currently she was not sure where they were, her best guess is that they got packed and lost in a box when she moved from Queen Anne.

Arizona took tentative steps around the desk and into Callie's space; the other woman tensed but kept her eyes locked on Arizona's. More than anything else the blonde wanted to kiss her wife again, to feel those plump and soft lips that she loved so much against hers but Callie's body language was telling her that that was not going to happen. So instead, she settled for another 'I missed you so much' and wiped away the tear that fell from Callie's eye and down her cheek. Callie's response was muffled by her tears but instead of repeating herself she wrapped her arms around Arizona, rested her head on the shorter woman's shoulder and released the tears that she had barely let out in the four and a half years that Arizona was not around. Arizona did the only thing she knew how to do in this situation, she comforted her wife just like she had all those years ago when her family rejected her, when their wedding seemed almost impossible, when she had unsuccessful surgeries and when they found out on numerous occasions that after months of preparation and fertilization treatments Callie was not pregnant. Callie's arms tightened around her waist as Arizona ran her fingers through her hair and gently massaged her scalp. The blonde closed her eyes and released her own tears that fell into shorter raven locks and disappeared.

Arizona had always hoped that one day she would be able to hold Callie again but as the years went by that hope grew dimmer and dimmer and when Catalina's life had completely ended on her table she thought that Vasquez would have ended her life as well and all her hope was dashed as the heart monitor blared and she tried to pump and shock life into the little girl's body. But now here she was with her wife's head on her shoulder and their arms wrapped around each other. It was more that she could have ever asked for.

Five minutes later Callie released her hold on Arizona and lifted her head to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. She moved from between Arizona and the desk and walked away before turning to look at the blonde once again. She sat on the couch and looked up at Arizona. The blonde knew what she was doing, it was a tactic used by doctors, particularly surgeons, a lot. Callie was literally lowering herself to make her wife feel as though she was in control when she really was not and Arizona hated it. She did not want to feel in control of the situation, she did not want to be in control of the situation, she did not want Callie to be in control of the situation. They were wives, they were equal. That was the dynamic of their relationship, of their marriage; no one was above the other. Because of this Arizona went to sit beside Callie, they were equals again. Dark eyes followed the woman across the room and to the couch but Callie said nothing until Arizona was comfortably sitting beside her.

She focused her attention on her hands momentarily before looking into blue eyes, "Where were you?"

Arizona looked into her wife's unwavering eyes, "Spain. This guy, Piero Vasquez –" Callie's sharp intake of breath caused her to stop speaking.

"Piero Vasquez? As in Piero Vasquez the drug lord?" Callie said her eyes going wide when Arizona nodded.

"You know about him?" Arizona said studying her wife's distressed face.

"Everyone in and from Miami knows about him. His nephew, Julio Vasquez runs the Miami leg of his trade. I can't believe Vasquez took you…for four and a half years!" Arizona saw her wife's disbelief turn to anger, "That son of a bitch!" She looked away from Arizona and tried to blink away the anger which was usually accompanied by tears.

Callie's fist clenched and unclenched in her lap and without thinking Arizona placed her hand over Callie's. This caused the brunette to look into Arizona's eyes again. The tactile connection was broken when Callie slowly pulled her hand away, Arizona saw the fear and hurt run through her eyes. She opened her mouth to continue explaining (what she could at least) when a piercing beep rang through the room. The blonde breathed a sigh of relief when Callie reached for the pager attached to her pants. She wanted to tell Callie everything but she could not, she was not ready to face it all over again…the pain, the anguish and the heartbreak that accompanied those months…years in Spain. She knew she could not bear to see the hurt that would undoubtedly be written all over her wife's face.

"Nine one one, I gotta go," Callie blinked back the tears that had threatened to fall.

Arizona nodded, "Yeah. No problem." Callie stood, "Will we get to talk – finish this?"

The Latina punched something into the pager before looking up at Arizona, "I hope so." She walked to the door as Arizona stood up and turned the knob. She turned her head slightly to look at the blonde through the corner of her eye, "How about you stop by my place later…around six?" Arizona nodded, "It's the apartment complex across the street, number five oh two."

Arizona nodded again, "I…I guess I'll see you later then."

Callie smiled at her and left the office. Arizona sat in the couch once more and allowed her head to fall in her hands. That did not go as she had planned. Honestly it went better than the worst scenario that she had thought about for a few minutes but it was not ideal…it was far from ideal. Callie seemed more surprised than anything to see her and maybe it was shock after her being gone for four and a half years but it should have worn off during the time they had just spent together. But it did not and she felt distant from Callie but there must be something right? After all Callie had invited her to her home…that just had to count for something.

**So there you have it guys. Hope you enjoyed it…whether you did or didn't just leave a review/comment below. Have a fantastic rest of the day.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey there, thought you got rid of me didn't you (right calzonafan007)? Well nope, I don't go down that easily. I've been quite busy with moving to a different country for college, orientation and the demands of MyMarine. I just have a couple things to say before you guys start reading this chapter, 1. I'm gonna really try to be better at updating. 2. This story and events and some emotions/feelings within might not follow what some people might expect, want or think is plausible but this is fiction…my fiction at that…and so while I will try to get this as realistic as possible sometimes it won't be and then there are other times when it just suits the story to write it the way I did. So with that said, if you have a problem with that then you should stop reading now and go do something else. For those of you who have no problem with what and how I'm writing, thanks for the support and you can go ahead and get your reading on. Thank you.**

September 11, 2012

Callie ended the call; this was the first time in hours that her mind was calm. Arizona should be outside her door in ten minutes but if this Arizona was anything like her Arizona she would be outside in five minutes. The Latina looked around the apartment, it was as clean as it was going to be with a messy four year old living there, and smiled because she thought the colors and decor were more Arizona than her. Callie walked into the kitchen to turn off the oven that held food that she hoped her wife still loved.

Sofía came running out of her room in a bright blue dress, "Mamá can I wear this?"

The older Latina put down the dish that was in her hand and turned to her daughter, "That's not what I picked out for you, Sofía."

"I know, Mamá but I like this," the girl said knowing that in a few heartbeats her moJther would be sending her back to change.

"Sofía Robbin Torres, go change this instant," the little girl pouted but turned and went back to her room. Callie shook her head and wondered what it would be like if Sofía had her other mother around. She chuckled and rolled her eyes because Arizona would have allowed her to wear the dress and would probably have tried to put Callie in one as well.

She missed the fun and easy days with her wife, she wanted them back and her phone call with Mark earlier made her realize that tonight was the night for her to reclaim her relationship…her marriage.

"Mamá, I don't like this shirt!" Sofía shouted from her room.

There was a knock on the door. Arizona was early, as usual, "Then choose another one."

"Can I wear the one that Grandma gave me? The one with Jasmine on it?" the little girl shouted again.

"Yes, Sofía." Callie opened the door to see her wife standing looking at the bottle of red wine in her hand and she smiled, "Hi."

Blue eyes met hers and dimples popped, "Hello, Calliope." She extended the bottle of wine to her, "I hope you don't mind but I brought a bottle of wine…your favorite French Bordeaux."

Callie took the bottle, "Thank you, Arizona." She stepped away from the door, "Come in." The blonde did as she was told and walked into the apartment and looked around. Callie closed the door, "So what'd you think?'

The other woman nodded, "Well it's not frowny and batcaveish like your last apartment."

Callie laughed, "Yeah I tired to get it somewhat neutral and not easter-basket like yours."

The Latina led the woman to the island that served as the breakfast bar, "My apartment was not an easter-basket."

Lighthearted banter like this was surprisingly easy for Callie after what had happened earlier and it made her realize how much she had actually missed her wife over the past four and a half years and how much she really wanted to reconnect with her. "It wasn't cute either, babe." The endearment had slipped out, it was totally accidental and she prayed that Arizona had not picked it up but the look of shock on the blonde's face told her otherwise. Callie was stuck. Should she apologize or should she continue like nothing happened? But why should she apologize? She and Arizona were still married…but they had been apart for over four years and she had no idea what Arizona would think of her calling her 'babe' on the first day that they had seen each other in what felt like forever. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the interruption of her clone.

"Mamá, I'm hungry!" the little Latina said running out of her room. She stopped running when she saw another woman sitting at the island with her mother.

Callie spun to face her daughter, "What did I tell you about running in the house?" Sofía pouted. "Come here, there's someone I want you to meet." Sofía walked up to the two women who both stood up. The blonde woman smiled down at her but her mother spoke, "Sofía, you remember all those stories that Grandma and Grandpa told you about your other Mamá?" the little girl nodded still looking at the woman standing beside her mother. Callie stalled. How do you tell a child that their other parent who they had never met is back? she looked at Arizona and then at Sofía before kneeling to the girl's level. Once again she opened her mouth but her daughter beat her to it.

Sofía looked around her mother and up at the blonde woman, "Are you my other Mamá?" Callie looked up to see Arizona smiling and nodding with tears in her eyes, she reached up for the woman's hand and squeezed it gently. Arizona knelt beside Callie as well. "But Grandpa said that no one knew where you were."

Callie decided to respond to the statement, "That's right, Princesa but she's back now."

Sofía looked from Callie's dark eyes to watery blue ones, "Forever and ever?" Arizona's smile grew and she nodded. Sofía's Robbins dimples popped and she threw her arms around the blonde's neck before she pulled back quickly, "Grandma said you like chickens as much as I like princesses…is that true?"

Arizona chuckled, "That depends, how much do you like princesses?"

Callie rolled her eyes, "You should see her bedroom. Everything she has is related to Disney's princesses."

"Well then yes I think I do love chickens as much as you love princesses," Arizona said looking at her wife's mini-me…her daughter.

Sofía nodded, "Okay." She looked at Callie, "I'm hungry, Mamá."

"Okay, mi'ja let's go eat," the two adults stood up, "But first you have to go wash your hands."

The little Latina sighed before trudging to the bathroom, "Yes, Mamá."

"She's beautiful," Arizona said when Sofía had left the room. "She looks a lot like you."

"I think she looks like you when she smiles," Callie responded taking up plates and carrying them to the table she had set.

Arizona shook her head, "She looks like Tim." She carried another dish over to the table, "So what did you make?"

"Your favorite…well i still hope it's your favorite," Callie responded.

"Oh, you made chicken enchiladas suizas!" Her eyes shined and Callie laughed that Arizona's response was the same as had always been. "Please tell me that you used extra cheese."

"Well that's the way you and Sof like it so of course I did," Callie said placing the final plate in its place.

Just then the little girl ran in and saw what was being placed on the table, "Mamá, you made suizas!" She pulled out her chair and proceeded to sit, her head already bowed for grace.

Callie and Arizona went back to the kitchen for glasses, a cup for Sofía, two bottles of wine and grape juice for the little Latina. They returned and took their seats, "Sof, can you say grace please?"

It was one of the few things that had changed while Arizona was away, they said grace before every meal and prayed before going to bed. Even though the blonde had never considered herself religious, Callie was and felt that there was a need for Sofía to be even slightly religious so they sometimes attended Mass but that and the daily prayers were as far as it would go.

Sofía nodded and began, "Dear God, thank you for bringing my other Mamá home so that we can be a family and so that Mamá can be happy again."

Callie looked up when she had been silent for a few seconds, "And what about the food, Sof?"

"Oh and thank you for the food too," she added hastily.

Callie shared out Sofía's food before Arizona's and hers. When she had finished that and everyone was eating she looked up and smiled. Fve years ago when she found out that she was pregnant the scene that was before her now was one that she would play out in her head. She and Arizona would come home from work, their baby from school and they would all sit around the dining room table eating, laughing, talking about their day and being a family. Four and a half years later her dream was being realized after her wife had disappeared and then returned and that baby had grown into a fun-loving, happy but troublemaking girl.

A girl that was probably too smart for her own good, "Momma 'Zona?" Callie saw the slight shock on Arizona's face but of course Sofía did not. "I'm gonna call you Momma 'Zona 'cause Grandpa calls you 'Zona. So Momma 'Zona, where were you?"

Callie looked at the blonde with interest. She knew that Piero Vasquez had taken her wife but that was as much as she knew. Blue eyes looked at her briefly before focusing on another pair of chocolate brown eyes, "Some really bad men took me to Spain."

Sofía scrunched her brows and put a forkful of food in her mouth, "Why?"

"Sofía don't talk with you mouth full of food," Callie chastised.

The other woman smiled slightly, "Because one of their little girls was sick and they wanted me to take care of her."

The little girl nodded as though that made all the sense in the world, "Grandpa told me that you're a baby doctor."

"That's right. I do big surgeries on little people," Arizona said before placing her own forkful of food in her mouth.

"Mamá and Uncle Mark and Aunty 'Tina and everybody at Mamá's hospital do surgeries too!" she exclaimed.

"Oh is that so? What kind of surgery does your Mamá do?" Arizona asked trying to keep up the conversation with the little girl.

"She breaks bones," she answered matter-of-factly.

"That's interesting; I thought she fixed them when they were broken," shining blue eyes met Callie's. It was a running joke between them since they met so many years ago.

"No, she breaks 'em. Uncle Mark always says that he's scared that Mamá will break his bones too," Arizona laughed at the serious look that Sofía was giving her.

Callie could not help thinking that this was what she had always wanted, that maybe everything would be okay and her life would go back to how she had it four and a half years ago. Despite thinking this and all those giddy feelings she was currently experiencing she knew that she had to work out some kinks regarding her relationship with Arizona. Seeing Sofía and the other woman interact made her even more certain that it was possible and that they could be a happy family. Mark's talk about starting over, reestablishing connections and being open with Arizona had set her off on the path to fixing and regaining her marriage but it was seeing her daughter and wife interact that sped her along.

For the remainder of the meal Callie watched and listened as Arizona and Sofía found out more about each other. She could see their daughter growing to love her other mother and wished that Vasquez had never come between the two. Tonight was the first time in a very long time that Sofía had sat at the table after she had finished eating and Callie could not help but smile at Sofía's fourth attempt to get the blonde into her room to show her the stuffed princesses that sat on the shelf above her bed. Arizona promised her that next time she would visit them which prompted another line of questioning from the little girl.

She scrunched her brows again, "So if you're my other Mamá, Mommy 'Zona, why don't you stay here with me and Mamá?"

Arizona looked at Callie who could only offer a shrug. She knew Sofía was smart for her age but she never expected her to deduce and ask Arizona that question, so she shrugged.

The blonde looked back at the child and pulled out one of her trademark super magic smiles, "Well Sof that's because all my things are back at the motel that I'm staying at."

That was supposed to end it but Sofía continued, "Uncle Mark can move them in his truck. It can hold lots of stuff."

"Well then I'll talk to Uncle Mark and see what can happen, okay?" Arizona stretched her hand and ruffled Sofía's dark hair.

She giggled, "Are you going to talk to Uncle mark tonight so you can move your stuff tomorrow?"

Callie decided to step in, "Sofía, did you finish your homework?"

She turned hopeful eyes to her mother, "Not all of it, Mamá."

"Bueno, puedes ir y completarlo? Arizona estará aquí cuando haya terminado," Callie responded.

"But, Mamá quiero hablar con Mamá 'Zona un poco más," she whined.

"Sofía, homework. Now," she used the infamous Torres glare on her. It was not something she was proud of but Sofía could be very stubborn if she wanted to be. She pouted and left the table. Callie sighed and looked up at Arizona, "Sorry about that."

"It's nothing. I wish I was here when she was growing up," Arizona responded leaning forward on the table.

"You're here now," the blonde nodded. Callie sighed again. It was time to make things right. "I'm sorry about earlier…what happened in Mark's office."

"You don't have to apologize Calliope. You were shocked to see me after more than four years. I was actually surprised that you were as receptive as you were."

Callie shook her head, "I couldn't sign the papers. I don't even know where they are now…"

Arizona stood up, walked over to Callie's side of the table and stooped, "I'm here now and like I told Sof I'm here forever and ever."

Callie broke down again and wrapped her arms around Arizona's neck. The shorter of the two women pulled them up to full height, "I didn't know that I could go on for almost five years without you, Arizona."

"I'm sorry that you had to go through even one year," Arizona stroked the dark hair on her wife's head. "I tried so hard to get back to you. I cried every night for four and half years because I left you and our baby. I'm sorry Calliope."

The brunette shook her head, "You don't have anything to apologize for. You didn't leave…those bastards took you." She lifted her head from Arizona's shoulder and dried her eyes, "But you're back and I want to fix everything…go back to the way we were before everything happened."

Arizona smiled, "I'd like that a lot, Calliope." her smile faltered slightly, "But it isn't going to be easy."

"I know but I want this. I want us to be a family again. I want my wife back."

"Well I'm back," he blonde said with a smile.

"Momma 'Zona! C'mere, please!" Sofía shouted from her room.

"She just wants to show you those toys that your parents continue to buy for her," Callie said untangling her arms from Arizona's neck.

Arizona laughed, "I think I'll go see what she wants. Which door is it?"

"Second door on the left. You can't miss it, there's a huge picture of Ariel and Sebastian on it," she rolled her eyes and turned to take up the dishes as Arizona walked out.

This was it. This was what she wanted. The ease of having Arizona again, the happiness that was constantly inside her when the blonde was around. It had returned and it was what she wanted Sofía to feel. The joy and light that was Arizona Torres-Robbins. She saw that the little girl was already enamored with the woman and wondered what it would have been like if Arizona had always been in her life. She shook her head, it was time to stop the what if's because Arizona was back and she said that she would always be there. Callie released a breath, it was one that she was holding since Carter and Rosen showed up at her front door, and it felt as though the weight of the world was taken off her shoulders. Her wife was back and that was all that mattered in that moment.

Twenty five minutes later Callie had everything washed and in its rightful place and her kitchen was completely spotless again…until Sofía decides that she wants a cookie and leaves the crumbs on the floor. So with nothing to do she decided to check in on Arizona and Sofía since the woman had not resurfaced since she left to go see what Sofía wanted. She walked up to the room and found the door ajar. A raven-haired head peeked in and saw Sofía sitting at her little desk (the only thing in the room that had no connections to Disney, although Sofía had covered it in stickers the day after she got it) and Arizona kneeling beside her helping with homework.

Sofía tapped her pencil against her head as Arizona spoke to her, "So if Sofía has three dolls, I have one doll and Mamá has two dolls, how many dolls are there?"

She counted on her fingers and Arizona helped her, "That's six dolls."

Arizona high-fived her, "That's right, big girl. Okay, if Uncle Mark takes four of the dolls, how many are we left with?"

Sofía giggled, "Uncle Mark can't have dolls 'cause they're for girls and he's a boy."

Arizona laughed along with her, "Okay so who's your best friend then?"

The girl answered in a heartbeat, "Zola. She's Uncle Derek and Aunty Merry's daughter. Mamá says we're like sisters."

"Okay that's great. So we had six dolls, right?" dark curled bounced as Sofía nodded, "So how many do we have left if Zola takes four of them?"

She counted on her fingers again and held up two fingers, "Two!"

"That's right!" another high-five and Sofía wrote down the number in her book. Arizona turned around to see Callie standing at the door, "Hey Sof, look who it is."

"Mamá, Momma 'Zona was helping me with my homework but we're done now," she said beaming at the women.

Callie walked into the room, "That's great, princesa."

She nodded, "And I showed Momma 'Zona all my princesses. She doesn't have a favorite princess so I'm gonna help her choose one next time. I told her that your favorite princess is Sleeping Beauty but I don't know why." Sofía followed Arizona to where Callie was standing, "Mamá, can I have a popsicle?"

"Sure, mi'ja but only one and then you have to get ready for bed, okay?" Callie said picking her up.

Fifteen minutes later Sofía was brushing her teeth (Callie was actually surprised that she did not need to take another bath), Arizona was in the kitchen sipping on a glass of white wine and Callie herself was busy moving between the two.

The younger Latina ran out of the bathroom and into the kitchen in her Ariel pajamas, she threw her arms around Arizona's legs, "Goodnight, Momma 'Zona."

The blonde placed her glass on the counter, stooped and hugged her, "Goodnight, Sofía."

She pulled back and looked Arizona in the eyes, "Momma 'Zona, do you know the Sleep Tight Song?"

Callie had walked in and saw the confused look on the woman's face, "She named it that. It's the song you used to sing when she would kick me in the middle of the night."

Sofía's eyes went wide when she heard that Arizona knew the song, "Can you sing it for me, please?"

Arizona chuckled at the pout that resembled Callie's so much, "Sure but first you have to tell Mamá goodnight and get into bed real quick."

Sofía squealed and ran to hug Callie before running to her room. Arizona stood up and moved to beside the other woman, "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen her so excited to go to bed."

The blonde woman laughed, "I'll be back soon."

Ten minutes later Arizona was sitting beside Callie who was watching the late news, "She's out like a light."

"Thanks again for putting up with her and her demands."

"Why are you thanking me? She's two halves of two people I love wrapped up to make one little person that I love as well," Callie looked over at Arizona who was already looking at her.

Of course she still loved her wife, she had whispered it every day. She still wore her ring, true it was not on her finger like Arizona's put she wore it around her neck, on the chain that continued to hold the heart gaped pendant that they exchanged for Valentine's Day so long ago.

A few seconds of silence passed between them. "She's your daughter too you know," Callie whispered. "She just met you and she loves you already."

"Like I said, I love her as well. I always did, even when I hadn't met her," she reached across and grabbed Callie's hand. "You did an amazing job raising her. I told you that you'd make a great mom."

Callie smiled and Arizona squeezed her hand. This was it…the beginning of their future…again. They had begun discussions, of course it was not about the heavy stuff but there was a start and for Callie and Arizona that was something. Even though it was something that Callie had known since she walked into Mark's office earlier that day and saw Arizona, it was a wonderful feeling having it confirmed by the blond herself. The desire to get back the family that they had lost was strong for both of them it was what they both wanted more than anything. Arizona's four and a half year absence was behind them, tonight and every night form now on it was just them and their daughter, trying to build the life they never had and had both thought (even just for a second) that they had lost.

**I could so totally end it there but I'm not gonna be mean 'cause I've got a little plan for this story. Oh and just incase you didn't notice, I didn't kill Tim in this story so he might just make an appearance soon…might. Additionally, I totally shaped Sofía how I wanted her. Admittedly she's kinda me, without the Latina. The whole Disney Princesses thing, being noisy and troublesome, running in the house when told not to…yeah that's me. I gave her my birthday as well…even though she would be like fourteen years younger than me. But yeah that's really all I had to say other than leave me a quick review/comment about the chapter or anything you want. Have a wonderful rest of the day guys :**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I swear the only thing here that belongs to me is the idea, scout's honor.**

**Hi everyone! I know this story hasn't been updated in ages and I'm sorry about that. With that said I'll leave you to read this installment of El Regreso. Enjoy!**

September 17, 2012

The doors slid open but Arizona stood outside and watched as the people inside carried on with their lives. This place was familiar but strange and she felt like an alien in this place that she used to love. She looked over at the sign that stood fifteen meters from her. It was the same sign that she had left but nothing felt the same. She looked inside once more and shook her head slowly; there was no way she could do this. However, on their own accord her feet moved and before she knew it she was standing in front of the front desk.

A graying but motherly looking woman looked up and smiled at her, "Hello. How can I help you today?"

Arizona wanted to say 'None at all' and leave but her mouth had other ideas, "Uh…I'd like to see Chief Harrison."

"Okay. Do you have an appointment?" the woman asked placing her hand on the phone.

"Uh, no I don't," she took her hand from the phone and shook her head. "But I need to speak with him urgently…can you please tell him that it's Dr. Arizona Robbins."

She shook her head, "Chief Harrison is a busy man and he doesn't like it when people visit unannounced."

"I'm sorry I didn't make an appointment but this is very important," Arizona pleaded. This still smiling woman was quickly annoying her. The older lady placed the call, "Chief, I have a Dr. Arizona Robbins who would like to meet with you." She nodded, "Okay, Sir." She looked at the blonde again and smiled, "Chief Harrison says that he will meet with you. Take the elevator up to the third floor, take a right as soon as you get off, halfway down the hall you will see a door with his name, knock and enter."

"Thank you," she took the visitor's ID offered to her and went on her way.

Five minutes later she was standing in front of Harrison's office. Her heart was pounding erratically in her chest and she tried to bring it to a steady rhythmic pace. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. The words became a mantra to her. She had told Callie the night before that this would happen but like the good wife she was Callie told her that she had to push through and that she could do it. Damn, how easy it was for Callie to say that. She already had a job, a very secure job at one of the best hospitals on the west coast…possibly in the whole country. She reined her thoughts in, took a breath and knocked on the door…it was now or never.

"Come in," Harrison's voice boomed through the closed door. She took another deep breath and opened the door to be greeted with the balding spot in the middle of her former boss' head. He looked up from the stack of paper in front of him and smiled and stood when he saw his visitor, "Arizona, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The nerves that she had worked so hard to quell had returned in full force. She closed the door and sat in the chair that he offered. "Water or coffee?"

"Wat…neither," Arizona said. "Chief, this isn't a social visit."

He pursed his lips and looked at her solemnly. He returned to his large leather chair and laced his fingers together before leaning back, "What can I do for you, Dr. Robbins?"

Arizona pulled a folder from the bag that she had placed beside her feet, "I would like to be rehired as a pediatric surgeon at this hospital." When she was practicing with Callie last night, after putting Sofía to bed, she had a grand speech about why Harrison should rehire her but in that moment the speech seemed so false and so forced that she went for the simple and easy version.

Chief Harrison's released a long breath through his nostrils as he leaned forward, "Arizona, I'm sorry but I –"

"I have my résumé and even though I was not in the US for a while I was still practicing…technically," she said quickly. This was one plan that she did not want to see fall through because if it did what was she going to do?

Harrison was calm when he spoke, no doubt he remembered the blonde's problem with confronting authority figures, "Arizona, this isn't about your competency, I'm sure you're still as gifted as that night that you…left. I can't hire you because I have no openings in Pediatric Surgery and because we have budgetary constraints that would prevent me from hiring you even if it was possible." The chief's words completely deflated Arizona. She had been on a high all week, she was rebuilding her relationship with Calliope and getting extremely close to their daughter, her parents were scheduled to be arriving in Seattle the next day and she really wanted some good news to share with her folks. Her shoulders sagged and Harrison continued, "I'm sure any hospital would be happy to have you, I'm just sorry it won't be Seattle Presbyterian."

With a forced smile Arizona placed the folder into her bag and stood. "Thank you for you time Chief," she extended her hand and Chief Harrison stood along with her and shook her hand. "Have a nice day."

"Thank you," she walked to the door, he stopped her when her hand was on the doorknob, "Arizona, good luck with your search. I'm sure you'll find somewhere that's able to bring you on full-time."

She nodded and forced another smile, "Thank you, Chief."

Arizona closed the door behind her and was surprised to notice that the dam behind her eyes had not yet burst. She ran her hand through her long, blond hair and closed her eyes before using the same hand to reach for the phone in her pocket. She quickly punched in the number that had become so familiar to her over such a short period of time.

The phone rang twice before it was answered, "Hey, how'd it go?"

Arizona sighed and began walking away from Harrison's office, "Horribly. He said that even if they did have openings in peds they wouldn't be able to take me on because of 'budgetary constraints'," she stepped into an elevator that was already occupied by two nurses. "And then he wished me good luck."

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry to hear that. Do you want to grab lunch with me?" the elevator stopped on the second floor and the nurses got off and a young Attending steeped in.

"Yeah sure Calliope," she said, avoiding the man's eyes. "Where should I meet you, babe?" the man did not stop staring, Arizona chalked it up to him being either deaf or stupid.

"How about you swing by here and I'll take you out?" Callie replied and Arizona heard a door slam shut from Callie's side and her wife's muffled voice speaking to someone.

The elevator stopped on the first floor and opened with a ding, "Okay, I'll see you in a few."

"Okay, I have to go," Callie ended the call and Arizona left the hospital building.

Thirty minutes later, Arizona was standing at the nurses' station on the orthopedic surgery ward. She had gone straight to Callie's office but had not found the Latina, tried calling her but received no response so she went to the nurses' station. She gave a small smile to the young woman behind the desk, "Hi, I'd like to see Dr. Torres but it seems she isn't in her office. Do you know where I might find her?"

The young woman returned Arizona's smile, "She left with Chief Hunt about half an hour ago and she hasn't been back since. She's either in his office or in the ER; I can page her if you want."

"That would be great. Thank you," she took a seat across from the nurses station and watched the activities of her wife's orthopedic ward. The nurse informed her that Callie had responded saying that she would be there in five minutes. The blonde thanked her again and continued to watch the people milling around the ward. Looking on from the outside, Callie's ward seemed to run perfectly even if she was not there. That was actually a hard feat to pull of in a surgical ward that had interns running around. Her own ward at Seattle Presbyterian had run smoothly when she was out as well. Once she had contracted a severe case of the flu and had been out for almost two weeks; she was pleasantly surprised to see her ward still functioning when she returned.

"Hey, sorry for making you wait," Callie's voice said coming from the opposite direction that Arizona's eyes were trained in.

The blonde turned around and for a minute completely forgot what she was doing or how to form words. Callie was hot. Like seriously hot. She had known this before…she had always known this…but seeing the Latina standing in front of her in her navy blue scrubs and her hair in a loose, messy and undeniably sexy bun was a pleasant reminder of how amazing her wife was in every way.

"Arizona?" the woman's voice broke Arizona from her very pleasant daydream.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she gave Callie her best dimpled smile. "Are you ready to go?"

Callie narrowed her eyes, "Yeah." Arizona stood up beside her, "Come on, I need to go to my office first though."

Fifteen minutes later they were both seated at a table at an outdoor restaurant. Callie sat listening patiently as Arizona ranted about her failed attempt at a job interview; she did not even stop when the waiter brought their glasses of water and wine.

When she did stop she looked across the table to see brown eyes looking at her intently, "What?"

Callie shook her head, "Nothing."

Arizona knew that it was never 'nothing' when it came to Callie but she nodded and allowed it to slide for the moment, "Okay. So how's your day been so far?"

Callie sighed, "I've been signing charts and going through papers all day as well as keeping an eye on my residents and their clueless interns. I swear, being an Attending is better than being the head of a department," Arizona nodded in agreement, "I haven't broken or realigned a single bone in two days and the only reason I got to was because an intern was putting a patient in more pain that was necessary for a simple broken wrist and the residents were meeting with Hunt." Arizona laughed at how cute her wife was when she was frustrated, early on in their relationship when Callie was tense or upset about something she usually took it out in one of two ways breaking bones or lots of sex but with the former being the source of her frustration and the latter being off the books for now, she has nothing left to do but rant. They engaged in light conversation until the waiter brought their food. After a sip of her water Callie spoke again, "Sof wants you to pick her up from school today…actually she insisted and I'll have to be out until late tonight working on something with Hunt and Mark."

Arizona smiled brightly and nodded, "Yeah, sure I can pick her up." Her smile fell, "I'm going to have to get food unless you're okay with her eating at IHOP for dinner."

Callie slid a single key on a keyring across the table to Arizona, "The passcode is your birth month and day." Arizona picked up the subtle hint that Callie was sending to her and everything in her head was telling her not to take the key but her fingers wrapped around the flat, silver object and pocketed it. Callie watched her carefully and only spoke again when the key was in out of sight, "I made lasagna and it's in the freezer, you just have to microwave it and she's going to try and get you to give her ice cream before dinner please don't or it's going to be hell to get her to eat after and to do her homework."

Despite how matrimonial this situation seemed and how nervous she was about what Callie was implying she snickered, "Yes ma'am."

"I'm serious Arizona, no ice cream before dinner," Callie said.

Their lunch date went smoothly but Arizona could no stop thinking about what Callie, and Sofía, wanted from her. Of course she would love to move in with them but she did not think that she was ready to…that they were ready for that level of change. She wanted to tell Callie but how do you tell your wife that you are not ready to live with her? She stopped thinking about it as Callie called for the waiter to bring the bill.

On the drive back they kept up a conversation about Callie's cartilage research and the paper that she had written on it. "You know it wouldn't be a very big thing if you did," Callie said when a beat of silence had passed between them

Arizona looked at her confused, "Huh?'

Callie glanced at her for a second, "You moving in with us." before Arizona could respond she continued, "I mean, yeah it would be a big thing but we're still married and you being back has changed both my and Sofia's lives already so moving in wouldn't be a bigger change for us and Sof's been asking when you're going to come and live with us…and…and you wouldn't have to live in that awful motel."

"Is that what you were thinking about earlier?" Arizona asked.

Callie blushed, "I've been thinking about it for a while. I just didn't know how to bring it up."

"So giving me your key and passcode and asking me to pick up Sof was the best you could think of."

Callie blushed even more, "I…yes." Arizona nodded. "So are you going to?"

Arizona shrugged, "I don't know yet. I mean eventually, yes, but I'm not sure right now. We still have things to talk about and sort through…"

"We can talk about everything…at home. Come on Arizona, I'm trying here."

"I can see that Calliope. I'm just saying that…I'm just saying, give me time…please," Arizona said with finality.

The two did not exchange many words for the remainder of the drive except when Callie asked if Arizona knew where Sofía's school was to which she answered in the affirmative.

Arizona found herself lost in her thoughts again and was surprised when Callie stopped in front of the hospital and grabbed her handbag from the backseat, "I'll see you later."

"I was planning on heading back to the motel," Arizona said.

"So take my car, how else would you get Sof from school anyways?" Callie countered.

"Oh…okay," Callie leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, so I'll see you tonight," Callie left the vehicle and walked up the walkway that led to the hospital doors.

Arizona slid across to the driver's seat while watching Callie. When the Latina was out of sight she looked through her window and saw Callie's apartment building across the street; she shook her head, there was no way that she was going to use that key until she was with Sofía later that evening. She put the car in drive and went to the motel; she still had an hour before Sofía's school ended. She spent the forty-five minutes that she could afford to surf the internet looking for any openings in pediatrics at any of the hospitals in the surrounding area, of course there were none.

Arizona was frustrated as she sat in the car waiting for the school's bell to ring. She knew that it would not be very easy to find a job almost immediately after she returned but she did not expect it to be this difficult either. She sighed and got out of the vehicle as the bell rang and walked up to the doors of the school behind two women who were engaged in conversation about their sons' performances in school. As soon as she stepped into the hallway Arizona could hear the chatter of children eagerly playing or awaiting their parents' arrival. She followed the two women to a desk that was manned by a petite brunette who asked them to sign out their sons who were playing with each other in a room. Arizona tried to peep in to find Sofía but did not see the little girl.

She stepped up to the desk and began searching for Sof's name but was stopped by the woman, "Hello, who are you here for?"

"Sofía Torres," she said taking up the pen after having found the name she was looking for.

"I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask for your name," the woman said while pulling a file from a drawer.

"Arizona Robbins. I'm her mother…her other mother," Arizona said slowly putting the pen down.

"I'm sorry but you're name is not on the list of approved persons that her mother gave us," the woman continued.

Arizona was already frustrated and this woman was only making her even more aggravated, "That's because I've been missing for almost five years! Of course I'm not going to be on the list." She calmed down slightly, "Can you just call Calliope and she'll tell you whatever it is you want to hear."

The woman asked Arizona to step out of line and to wait at the side while she placed the call to Callie's phone. A few minutes later she motioned for Arizona to step forward. "I'm sorry about that, Dr. Torres made it clear that we were to adhere to the list if someone other than her, Dr. Sloan or the Shepherds were to come for Sofía." Arizona nodded and the woman smiled, "She will be here soon."

A minute later Sofía came running from the room behind the desk, "Momma 'Zona!"

Arizona lifted the little girl in a hug, "Hey there, big girl. How was your day?"

She put her down and Sofía handed her backpack to her mother, "I got all my homework right!"

"Oh you did?" the little Latina nodded. "Well that's because you're a smart little girl."

"I'm not a little girl, Momma 'Zona," Sofía chastised.

"I'm sorry Sof," Arizona opened the back door of the car and allowed Sofía to hop in and buckle herself in before sliding into the driver's seat. She looked in the rearview mirror at her wife's replica, "Where to, Sof?"

"Mama!" the little girl shouted.

"You want to go to the hospital to see mama?" Arizona asked feigning surprise. Sofía's two ponytails jumped as she nodded. "Alright, let's go see mama."

Sofía walked through the halls of the hospital with a huge smile on her face and her mother on her arm as she waved to every nurse and doctor who called to her. Her little hand knocked on Callie's office door and she turned the knob when her other mother's voice came from inside.

"Mama!" she shouted running into the office, Arizona following on her heel. "Momma 'Zona picked me up from school."

"Hi Sof, it's nice to see you too," Callie said closing the lid of her laptop and lifting her daughter on to her lap, she glanced over at Arizona who was sitting on the couch by the door with her eyes closed. "You said you wanted her to, didn't you?"

Sofía covered her mouth and coughed while she nodded. When her fit had ended she looked up at Callie, "Can Momma 'Zona pick me up everyday?"

Callie shrugged, "Why don't you ask her?"

Arizona's eyes opened as she felt Sofía's hand patting her knee, "Momma 'Zona?"

"Yes, Sof?" Arizona responded.

"Can you pick me up from school everyday, Momma 'Zona?" the little girl asked, her Robbins dimples on display and there was no way Arizona could say no.

"Sure honey," the blonde answered and Sofía's smile grew.

"Hey, I'm sorry about what happened when you went to get her, I had meant to call and tell them you were coming but it completely slipped my mind," Callie said getting up to sit beside Arizona and Sofía.

"It's fine. Neither of us expected that I'd be the one to pick her up from school so it's okay," Arizona said while tickling her daughter who was sitting on her lap.

Sofía's laughter turned into another coughing fit that left her mothers worried, "Mi'ja are you feeling okay?"

Sofía nodded, "Yes, mama."

Callie stood and took a thermometer from a drawer in her desk and placed it in Sofía's mouth, "There's cough medicine in the cabinet in the bathroom and turn the humidifier on, please." Arizona nodded and took the thermometer from Sofía's mouth, "One oh five. You have a fever, Sof."

"But I feel fine Momma 'Zona," the little girl countered.

Callie backed up Arizona as Sofía began another bout of coughs, "You need to go home and sleep, princesa. You'll feel better when you wake up."

Arizona lifted her daughter and placed her on her hip, "Come on Sof, let's get you home and drugged up."

"Arizona, don't say that!" Callie kissed Sof's temple and Arizona's cheek. "I'll see you both tonight, okay?"

"Okay, mama."

"Yup, see you later."

Ten minutes later, Arizona was opening the door to Callie's apartment and Sofía was still coughing. She put in the passcode for the alarm system as Sofía went to her room. She found the cough medicine with ease and when she went to Sofía's room she found the girl sleeping, still in her uniform. Arizona smiled, Sof slept like her mother but it also broke her heart that it was because of illness why the little girl was asleep at three-thirty.

"Sof?" she sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on the little girl's back but she did not respond. "Sofía wake up, honey," she mumbled incoherently and opened her eyes. "Come on, we've got to get you out of your uniform and get some of this medicine inside of you, okay?" Sofía nodded and lifted her hands so Arizona could remove her shirt and replace it with her pajama top. She fell asleep again as soon as Arizona had allowed her to lie down. The blonde kissed her forehead, "Que te mejores, princesa."

Arizona decided to reheat the lasagna by stove instead of by microwave. Cooking was never her forte, and Callie only trusted her with a microwave, but in truth she knew how to make simple things using a stove. She was just about finished when Sofía shouted for her. She rushed to the room but did not find Sofía there. "Sof? Where are you?"

"Bathroom," the little girl moaned.

Arizona found her sitting on the floor in front of the toilet with her head slumped against the wall. She kneeled down, "Sof, what happened? Are you okay?"

"I threw up. I don't feel okay, Momma 'Zona," Sofia said through coughs as she rested her head against Arizona's shoulder.

Arizona ran her hand over dark hair, "Do you want to sleep outside with me?" Sofía nodded, "Okay let's get your blanket and pillows and get you comfy on the couch."

Sofía fell asleep watching an episode of Fairly Oddparents; Arizona muted the television and sat beside her on the couch. She used the back of her hand to gauge Sofía's temperature and by an abstract professional diagnosis the child's temperature was rising. Arizona's phone rang and startled her, she ran to get it before it could rouse the sleeping girl.

"Hello?" Arizona whispered, moving away from Sofía.

"Hey, how is she?" Callie asked.

"Her temperature is rising and she just threw up but she's sleeping again now," Arizona said. "Sounds like she has a stomach bug to me."

"Hm, okay. I'm going to try to push this thing with Hunt back and try to get home earlier," Callie responded.

"It's fine, do what you have to do. I can take care of her, after all it was my job to take care of sick kids," Arizona peeped out of the room to check on Sofía.

"Okay. Make our girl better, Arizona," Callie said.

Arizona gave her a small, weary smile, "I will." The call ended and Arizona went back to sitting with Sofía.

Arizona woke with a start and found Sofía wrapped in her arms, still in her Disney princesses blanket. The little girl was looking at her and moaned, "Momma 'Zona, I'm hungry."

"Okay, I'm going to need to reheat the dinner your Mama made for us." Arizona got up and looked at the clock, it was seven-thirty, well past Sofía's regular dinner time. Fifteen minutes later, Arizona returned with a plate of food for Sofía, a plate for herself and two large cups of orange juice. "Here you go, Sof." She unmuted the television and changed the channel to something more educational than SpongeBob.

Sofía ate half of everything that was on her plate and drank all of her juice, "Momma, can I have more juice?"

Arizona took the cup and returned with it half full and another dosage of cough medicine, "Here you are, big girl."

"Thank you, Momma," she took her medicine and washed it down with the juice before leaning against her mother. "Momma?"

"Yes, honey?" Arizona responded looking down at her.

"Are you coming to live with us?" her eyes were closed as she spoke.

"I will be soon, Sof." Sofía snuggled into Arizona even more and fell asleep again.

Arizona's problem with moving in was that she wanted to talk to Callie about everything, the kidnapping, Catalina, their lives, Sofía's life and the best way to truly move forward. Callie wanted to do all of that after Arizona had moved in but the blonde wanted to talk before she did, before anything else happened. She wanted her family, there was nothing that she wanted more but she knew that if she just moved in they would become complacent and would never talk about anything, it was their thing. When their relationship had begun, communication was difficult for them but they had eventually worked it out over the years and when she had been kidnapped it still was not stellar but it was good. Since being back she had noticed that they had reverted to almost their original, almost nonexistent level of communication. It was not good and they needed to fix that before they could think about anything else.

Arizona carried Sofía to her room before returning to the living area and tidying it and the kitchen.

She was putting away the last of the dishes when the door opened and Callie walked in with a smile on her face, "Hey. I have a surprise for you." She threw her keys onto the table beside the door and dropped her bag in the couch before kissing Arizona's cheek.

The blonde furrowed her brows and looked at her, "I don't like surprises, Calliope."

"I know but I think you'll like this one," Callie said looking behind her at the still open door. "Come in," she said to no one.

Arizona looked over the Latina's shoulder and her mouth fell open, "Mom, Dad, what…what are you doing here? I thought your flight was tomorrow."

The elder Robbins walked into the apartment and closed the door behind them. Callie moved out of the way as Barbara rushed up to her daughter and wrapped her in a tight hug, "It was but we got the deal settled earlier than expected so we changed our flight." Arizona hugged her mother, "Oh baby," Barbara sounded as though she were crying, "I never thought I'd see you again."

Barbara tried to hold Arizona at arms length to appraise her but the blonde refused and held on to her mother, her own tears threatening to fall. She did not say anything; she simply soaked up all the love and warmth that her mother was giving to her in waves. Arizona opened her eyes to see a smile on her father's usually emotionless face and she let go of her mother only to find herself crying into her father's chest a second later. He held her and kissed the top of her head while gently rocking her back and forth, like he did when she was a child.

During her time in Spain Arizona could only imagine the anguish that her parents were feeling with one child being involved in one of the most deadly wars in history and the other being somewhere that no one knew. Now that she was back in their arms she never wanted to move, she wanted to stay cocooned in her father's arms, her face buried into his chest as he stroked her blonde hair. But her cocoon was penetrated by Sofía calling out for her and coughing. Callie left the Robbins and went to check up on her little girl.

Daniel led Arizona to the couch and she sat between her parents, like she did when she came out to them at fourteen years old and when Timothy announced at twenty years old that he was leaving college to join the US Army, her father put his arm around her shoulders and her mother held on to her hand. No one said anything for a few minutes and Arizona used the time to gather her thoughts and find the best way to her parents what happened to her. But there was no best way…there was not even a good way.

"I told you both that I would tell you what happened when you got here and you're here so I guess it's time for me to talk, right?" she said looking straight ahead, she realized that her voice sounded detached but that was how she always felt when she thought about Spain and Vasquez.

Her father ran his palm up and down her arm, "You don't have to tell us tonight, honey. We'll have plenty of time between now and when we leave on Wednesday."

The blonde released a heavy breath. Of course her father could pick up the fear and tension that she held regarding the subject. She was yet to talk to anyone, except Harrison, about everything that had happened while she was in Spain. It was not something that she found easy to share with the ones she loved; she did not want to see the pity that they would give her or hear the 'I'm sorry's that they would definitely say. She just wanted to be back and talk about everything in her own time.

Callie returned from Sofía's room and went to the kitchen to pour her parents-in-law two glasses of water, "Her temperature is one oh seven now. I'm not sending her to school tomorrow."

She brought over the glasses and set them on the table before sitting across from the Robbins family. Arizona nodded, "I can come by before you leave for work and stay with her tomorrow. If that's okay with you?" She knew what her parents were thinking and she knew that given the opportunity they would question her, again, as to why she was not living with Callie and Sofía.

"Yeah, that'd be great." Callie responded with a smile.

Arizona watched as her parents and her wife spoke and laughed with each other. All the members of the Robbins family, plus Nick, had always loved Callie. They supported her through everything, when her family has disowned her, when her father had cut her off financially and apparently when Arizona had gone missing. They had always treated her like she was a part of the family even before the day that Arizona slid the ring on to her left ring finger and made her one of the family, when she made Callie her wife.

They were talking about a recent political issue in Massachusetts that was all over the news that Arizona was not fully aware of. There was a time, a very long time ago, when Callie and the elder Robbins got into one of their bonding moments she would excuse herself and find her brother so they could have their own bonding moment. Beside Callie and her parents, Timothy was the person she missed the most but she had been missing him for a very long time before she had been taken to Spain. Several times while she was sleeping in her bed in Vasquez's mansion she had dreamt that she had made it back to America but when she was greeted by news that one of her family members or close friends had passed on while she was gone. Callie. Her mother. Her father. Nick. Timothy. The first and the last were the most frequent. Those nights she would wake up in a cold sweat and after calming herself she would refuse to go back to sleep and chose instead to stare at the ceiling with hot tears running down her face. Now here she was with no one to turn to. Her parents had told her that the last time they had heard from Timothy was four months prior when he had called to tell them that his base was being moved but he could not tell them where they were being moved to. He had promised to call them but they were still waiting for the phone to ring.

She excused herself from between her parents and went to Sofía's room. Being a doctor she knew she should not be around the girl too much if she had a stomach bug but she reminded Arizona so much of Timothy that she could not help herself. She crept into the very pink and Easter basket-y room to see Sofía curled up under her sheet with a stuffed yellow and blue fish clutched between her body and her arm. Arizona smiled as she saw more of her brother in Sofía as she slept. He had a tendency to pout when he was sleeping and now Sofía was doing the same. She found it adorable and heartbreaking at the same time. She felt as though she was on the road to getting her family back but then she always remembered that her brother was still out there fighting a war. At the end of every day she would say thank you to whoever or whatever was out there keeping her brother alive…keeping her from getting that call from her parents saying that his body was being sent home. She shook her head, thinking about her brother's lifeless body in a coffin was not helping her. She ran her hand over Sofía's head and smiled softly.

"_Arizona, como estas? Pareces triste," __the little girl said walking over to Arizona and stepping in between her legs to lean on her thighs and look up into blue eyes._

_Arizona hugged her, __"Estoy bien pero tengo sueños también."_

_Catalina nodded her head__, "Si estas cansada por que no vas a dormir?"_

"_Porque Señorita Catalina no quiere va a dormir ya," __Arizona said smiling as the little girl between her legs laughed as she was tickled._

"_¡Vale! ¡Vale! ¡Voy a dormir!" __Catalina replied running away from her doctor and closest…only…friend._

Arizona had never thought that she would make a good mother. She had seen her mother do it all her life but she could never imagine herself in that position so at eighteen years of age she had sworn to herself that she did not want and would not have children. I was normal for her to thank whatever being had created her for making her gay so that it would never be an issue. When Callie had told her that she wanted children she was terrified; Callie made it a deal breaker, their relationship and a baby or no relationship and no baby. Arizona had been pissed at her for weeks, almost months, for making her choose between the love of her life and something that she had decided years before that she did not want. She made that known and Callie told her that she could not understand what kind of woman did not want children. That night Arizona had a three-way call with Timothy and Nick who tried to knock some sense into her but it took two weeks for Arizona to break through her stubbornness and talk to Callie about it. She found out that Callie's deal breaker was tearing at the Latina as much as it was tearing at her. Callie folded and admitted that Arizona was more important to her than anything else but Arizona had already convinced herself that having a child would not be too bad…as long as she was not the oven that the child lived in for nine months. She could remember the smile on Callie's face when she told her that. They got married, tried to start a family and failed twice until Callie actually got pregnant and then Arizona was taken away from her family. She found herself having to be a doctor, a friend and eventually a mother to Catalina. The little girl grew on her and made her realize that she would not be as bad as she thought she would be at being a mother. Watching Sofía sleep made her regret that she was not given the chance to realize that with her own daughter. But now that was what Callie wanted. She never said it explicitly but she wanted Arizona in their daughter's life as a mother…a mother that lived with her wife and her daughter. She wanted that as well but she could not see it happening in the upcoming week…or the week after that. She wanted a job before she could move in; after all it was her belief that both partners had to bring something to the table and in her present condition there was nothing she could bring but difficulties and nightmares so she was waiting until she had…something.

"Your parents are leaving," Callie's voice startled her but she did not take her eyes off Sofía.

"Can you tell them I fell asleep, please. I'm not in any frame of mind to talk right now."

Callie did not respond but Arizona knew she was still standing in the doorway, appraising her. After almost a minute Callie answered, "Okay. I'll be driving them back to their hotel. If you want to stay over there are sheets and blankets in my room, the couch is a fold out bed. Spare toothbrushes are in the bathroom and you can find something in my drawers or closet to wear to bed."

"It's okay, I think I'll be heading out when you get back." Callie did not reply to this, she simply walked away.

For the next half and hour Arizona sat in the same position until she head the door close behind Callie. She got up, kissed Sofía goodnight and walked out into the living room to see the Latina tidying up.

Arizona grabbed her bag, "Her fever went down to one hundred."

"Okay thanks," Callie said not looking at her.

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow at…" Arizona's hand was on the door and the only thing she wanted to do was leave. She was a bit happy that Callie refused to make eye contact with her.

Callie stood and walked to the sink, "Eight-thirty…nine."

"Okay, I'll be here. Goodnight Calliope," she heard Callie's goodnight as she closed the door and walked down the dimly lit hallway.


End file.
